Through the Eyes of Hope
by KitoraSohma
Summary: A different look at the horrors of Hope's Peak High School told through a series of flashbacks. Ayano Tsukino is the Super High School level writer who has to go through murder, a psychotically cute bear, and the most terrifying of all...love. Byakuya Togami X OC
1. Prologue: The End?

**A.N. Hi guys! This is my first fanfiction I've ever officially posted, even though I've written a bunch. This is a Byakuya Togami x OC that will follow the anime for Dangan Ronpa as I haven't played the game. I really want to though! Ayano- My design, my color Tsukino- Of the moon**

**A.N. 2 MAJOR REDO! I'm revamping this and changing some of the plot lines.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dangan Ronpa or anything to do with it...but I want a Monokuma ****plushie…**

"We won't lose!" Naegi declared as we all stood around him. "As long as we have hope, we can't lose!"

"Lame." Junko Enoshima, A.K.A. The Mastermind, muttered. "That was so lame. That look on your faces, the words you're flinging around, your exchanges…" She jerked back, a look of disgust on her face. "They're all lame!" she yelled. "Lame! That crap isn't popular!"

"Actually," I interrupted before Naegi could say anything. "It isn't lame. Hope can save lives."

Junko sneered. "It couldn't save the lives of your friends!"

"Friend." I corrected.

Everyone gasped and turned to me, confusion and hope written across their faces. Byakuya leaned in and whispered. "Are you sure that it's time to show our hand?"

I smiled gently at him. "It's time." I took a deep breath and stepped forward, thrilled that all our hard work and struggle was finally paying off.

"Mukuro Ikusaba is dead." I said. "But everyone else...well…" I walked over to the wall behind where I normally stood in the classroom trials, the eyes of everyone in the room staring at my back. I pulled the familiar heart-shaped key out of the back of my digital notebook and pushed into a small heart-shaped indention so thin that you'd miss it if you weren't looking. A door opened and I looked into the dark tunnels that had become my hope over the last few weeks. "It's time to come out guys, we need some support!"

Slowly, in the order that they had been killed, all of our friends came out of the tunnels. First Maizono, who waved happily to Naegi, then Leon, who waved sheepishly. Chihiro ran out laughing, Alter Ego in his hands, followed by Ohwada and Ishimaru, their arms wrapped around each other, huge grins on their faces. Yamada hobbled out, straightening his glasses and looking around nervously. Celestia glided out, hands under her chin in a signature smirk, while Sakura walked out solemnly, only to be embraced by a crying Asahina. Tears ran down nearly everyone's faces as they reunited, apologized, and laughed.

"How."

I looked up at Junko, her face lowered in rage. "Hmm?" I asked sweetly.

"HOW DID YOU BRING THEM BACK TO LIFE! THEY WERE DEAD!" she screamed.

"An artist's job is to turn 'What if' into reality," I said simply, the energy of the moment coursing through me, revitalizing me.

Byakuya wrapped his arms around me, pride and triumph blazing in his eyes. "You have been defeated, Junko Enoshima."

"HOW?!" she screeched, her face contorted and ugly.

Looking back at her, and everyone in the room, I smiled. "They were never dead." Forestalling their questions, I held up a hand. "This will take some time to explain. But…" I glanced back at a fuming Junko. "It seems we have plenty of time." I took a deep breath. "It all started when I was 'accepted' into this school a few weeks ago…"


	2. Chapter 1: Profiles and Principals

**All right! First chapter! Please comment/review what you think so far! Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS! You have been warned. Also, I tend to write a lot of author's notes, so be prepared.**

**DISCLAIMER: I still don't own Dangan Ronpa... weird, huh?**

**The profiles that Ayano-chan gives here are the things she can tell by how these people act. She is going to be a profiler straight out of Criminal Minds!**

**Ok, I'm redoing all of this! More descriptions, "Super High School Level" to "Ultimate" and more about the characters! Oh, and I'm dropping the honorifics, because….life.**

The day I got accepted into Hope's Peak academy was the best day of my life, or so I thought. Some good things did come out of it, like meeting Byakuya- oops I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me get my thoughts together. In the meantime, let me give you a description of myself. My name is Ayano Tsukino and I'm the Ultimate Artist. I paint, draw, write, and most importantly, dream. I bring worlds to life whether by paint or by word. I have really long gold hair that goes down to my ankles, which I keep in two massive, spiraling pigtails. I'm pale and have dark plum eyes, which is what my outfit is based on. I usually wear a corset-like top and frilled skirt that reaches my knees. Both are dark plum with black lacing and frills. My shoes are an old style of lace-up heels that match the whole outfit. Around my neck is a choker that looks like a large plum ribbon with black frills. To top it off, I have a large plum rose in my air that sits daintily on black lace. That should do it for introductions. Now that I've thought it through, I've decided. Let's start when I woke up in that classroom. That's where it all began.

* * *

I woke up quickly, jerking awake. "W-What?!" I muttered blearily, shaking off my fatigue. I had arrived at Hope's Peak Academy, the place where success was guaranteed, only to pass out as I stepped through the gate. From there, everything was a blur. I sat up and smoothed my clothes before looking around. I seemed to be in a classroom, but there were a few things that didn't make this a "normal" classroom. And I wasn't talking about the tacky giraffe-pattern walls (though that was strange). No, I meant the huge metal plates that were bolted to each and every window and the cameras that were tracking my every move. "Hmm…" I said, taking it all in. "Story level: Mystery." I pulled out the plum-colored journal I always wrote in, relieved to still have it in the pocket of my skirt.

"Story Start: Character wakes up in abandoned, bolted classroom, under surveillance." I wrote. I'm always writing down ideas for paintings or books and making profiles of the people I meet. Some people might think I'm strange, (A.N. Or that the author has watched WAY too many episodes of Criminal Minds) but an artist must be able to read people in order to create effectively. "No sign of the person who must have carried me to the classroom. How disconcerting…"

Standing shakily, I saw a piece of paper lying on the teacher's desk. Picking it up, I grimaced at the messy handwriting and kindergarten drawing. 'Welcome to the School. A new semester has just begun. Since yer starting new lives, this school will be your new world. Gather in the gym at 8 for the welcoming ceremony.'

'Yer?!' I thought incredulously. 'Isn't this supposed to be a really good school with a guarantee for instant success?! Weird. I guess a lack of grammar doesn't mean a lack of talent…''

Glancing at the clock, I strode over to the door, which was unlocked. I walked into the long purple hall and was immediately knocked to the floor by a boy with spiky brown hair and a green hoodie. (A.N. You know what they look like! Don't be picky!)

"S-Sorry!" he said, holding out his hand to help me up.

"It's fine." I said, grabbing one of his hands and shaking it after I pulled myself off the floor. "I'm Ayano Tsukino."

"Makoto Naegi, but most people call me Naegi."

"Well Naegi, do you know what's going on here?"

"No," he said, frowning in concern. "I passed out when I entered the grounds and can't remember how I got here. I woke up in an abandoned classroom with steel plates on every window and cameras watching my every move."

"But.. that's exactly what happened to me!" I exclaimed, concerned.

"What's going on here?" Naegi murmured.

"Let's go see if the others had similar experiences. The opening ceremony is in the gym, right?" I asked, gesturing at the door to the gym.

He nodded and we walked through the doors. Inside, I saw a large group of kids, presumably the rest of my classmates. 'Okay,' I thought. 'Let's see what I can learn from these Ultimates.' I pulled out my journal, sketching pictures of my fifteen classmates to go with their profiles. "Excuse our tardiness," I said sweetly, bowing apologetically.

"Hey, are you both new students?" a guy with ridiculously spiky hair asked. Thinking back to the list of students I had seen, I identified him as Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant.

'A bit of a scaredy-cat, but loyal and trustworthy for the most part, unless he's afraid.' I wrote.

"Something ain't right about this school." he said, not waiting for an answer and scratching his head.

"So there are 16 of us, eh?" A… very large boy with glasses and an orange tie exclaimed. "Think that's all of us?"

Glancing at him, I nodded and wrote, 'Hifumi Yamada: Ultimate Fanfic Creator. Gets attached to things easily and will assume the role of a main character every once in awhile. Not especially strong physically or mentally.'

"You!" a darked-haired boy with red eyes and crazy eyebrows shouted, pointing at Naegi. "The instructions said to be here by eight o'clock sharp!"

I raised an eyebrow as he yelled at Naegi and not me. No doubt about it. 'Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Ultimate Moral Compass. Loyal to the extreme and even more dedicated to the rules. He wouldn't stand out in the old days of chivalry and valor.'

"You have absolutely no excuse for being tardy!" he yelled.

"I fell in the hallway," I said, not telling a lie as Naegi had knocked me over. "Naegi was helping me." I smiled at Ishimaru.

"A-Ah, I see." He said, coughing nervously. "Well, helping a lady is very important…but the rules specifically stated… which takes precedent…?"

"'Scuse me?! What're you goin' on about?!" A blond girl with pigtails half snarled. "Who cares about bein' late when we don't even know what the hell is goin' on?!"

'Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Fashionista. Spoiled to the extreme and very vain. Although famous, she has a mean streak a mile wide and a rotten attitude. Speaks with a lot of exclamation points...Avoid judo-throwing to the ground.' I scribbled. My own temper was fairly formidable, so we had that in common at least.

I smiled thinly at her as a cute girl in a green dress raised her hand timidly.

"Um, excuse me?" she asked in a soft voice. (A.N. ISN'T HE CUTE! I might write a fic for him too. There will be a slight amount of Chihiro x OC in this) "Did you also wake up in a classroom?"

"Yeah, I was in a classroom." Naegi answered, worry present in his voice.

"I was in one as well." I said, smiling at the girl, who turned pink for some reason.

"I-I thought so." she replied. "That's true of everyone." She clasped her hands together tightly, a sad, confused look on her face.

'Chihiro Fujisaki, Ultimate Programmer. Super sweet and timid, but determined. She seems like she could use someone to rely on. Possible friend?'

"Everyone fell unconscious." A monotone voice said.

I turned and saw a girl with dark pigtails WAY more spiraling than mine. She too wore clothing from a distant era, only hers were black and white. The white crown-like headpiece she wore said it all. 'Celestia Ludenburck, Ultimate Gambler. A high-stakes girl used to getting her way and ordering others around. A little arrogant and hard to manage, and crowned the Queen of Liars. I'd have to watch my back around her.'

"...and upon awaking, we converged in the gym." she continued, putting her hand up to her smile in an innocent gesture, yet allowing everyone to see the sharp metal claw she wore on one finger. "Most peculiar, is it not?"

'I can't help but like her a little.' I thought, smiling along with her as she insisted that we call her by her first name, which was probably fake. Girls like Celestia didn't take any attitude from anyone, something I respected immensely.

"What's with this place?! Tch!" a muscular boy with the most alarming hairstyle I'd ever seen asked, looking around. "It's just like my old juvie."

'Mondo Ohwada, Ultimate Bike Gang Leader. Easily angry and prone to sudden outbursts of violence, yet super loyal and sworn to keep promises between men, like all bikers. Actually, a pretty decent person who apologizes for any unnecessary violence. Yet, he is the de facto leader for gangs across the country, so he might be a little dangerous…''

"Do ya think…"

Again my attention was diverted by a new voice. A boy with bright orange/red spiky hair and goatee that contrasted with his light blue eyes was speaking, a joking tone to his voice.

"...we got kidnapped? Like, someone kidnapped the whole flippin' lot of us." He put a hand behind his head.

'Leon Kuwata, Ultimate Baseball Star. A nice enough person, but interested in his personal well-being and comfort overall.' I glanced back up, but my view was blocked by a preppy-looking girl with a chocolate-colored ponytail and a red tracksuit.

"I bet this is some sort of special program!" she exclaimed excitedly.

I grinned at her enthusiasm and wrote, 'Aoi Asahina, Ultimate Swimmer. Super positive and friendly. Willing to sacrifice anything for her team and friends. Yet another possible friend?' I didn't usually make friends fast, but this group seemed very promising. Speaking of which, I forgot a profile. 'Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student. Very smart and polite. willing to help anyone with anything, but is very modest. Since he bumped into me, I guess we're friends?'

"This is a special school and all! Right?" Asahina continued speculatively, a finger to her cheek as she looked up. She turned to the person next to her for confirmation.

"'Tis hard to say." a huge girl with white hair and several scars replied, arms crossed. "'Twould be wise to first ascertain the situation."

'Whoa, she's cool!' I thought, marking her down as another candidate for friendship. 'Sakura Ohgami, Ultimate Martial Artist. Honor-bound and very polite, with an old style of speaking. Obviously very strong, both physically and in will power.'

"You seem strong," she mused, staring at me calculatingly. "Have you had formal training? I could use a sparing partner."

I grinned. "I don't think I'm up to your standards, but I've dabbled in martial arts. I'd love to spar sometime! Doesn't it sound fun, Naegi?"

"Yeah…" Naegi said, staring at Sakura's muscles in awe. He turned and muttered to himself, slightly depressed. "These...are the Ultimate students who got admitted into Hope's Peak Academy."

I nudged him playfully. "You're one of us too Naegi! Cheer up, and take pride in your luck, because no talent can be crafted without a fair amount of luck."

He smiled gratefully at me. "Thank you, Miss Tsukino."

I stared at him. "You know I'm the same age as you, right? The 'Miss' thing is a little weird…Call me Ayano."

"Sorry, Ayano," He smiled nervously, his face red.

"Better." I smiled, turning to look at a girl in the back of the crowd with two braids, glasses, and an expression of borderline panic on her face. As Naegi looked in that direction as well, the girl put her hands up in a defensive way, panic now evident.

"They're looking! They're looking right at me!"

I looked at her disbelievingly. That was Touko Fukawa, the Ultimate Writing Progidy, whose stories were so famous?! No. We would not be getting along. As an artist, I loved to write, and my mysteries were just as popular as her romance novels. However, as she'd been writing longer, and I dabbled in all arts with success, she was the writer and I was the artist. I'd been looking forward to meeting her for a long time, and all I got was this… Well, it was safe to say I was not impressed with her lackluster attitude toward life. 'Paranoid to the extreme and annoying as well. Extremely unconfident with a very low self-esteem What is she afraid of? There's something else strange about her...'

She glared at us resentfully. "All because I'm ugly!"

I smiled contemptuously. 'Yep.' I thought.

"What an eyesore." a pompous voice declared.

I eagerly turned to look at the voice's owner. I loved messing with people who thought they were better than everyone else! To my surprise, I recognized the boy in front of me. He had blond hair, glasses, blue eyes, and wore a suit. It was none other than Byakuya Togami, heir to the Togami Corporation, which had worldwide business and was wealthy beyond compare. No wonder he was the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. 'Arrogant and contemptuous of everyone not affiliated to his family. However, he is a lover of puzzles and games, which redeems him a bit, meaning he's smart. He IS good-looking, which counts for something, but not much. He is, in essence, a blond Kyoya Ootori, without the manners.'

'Hang on,' I thought suddenly. 'Who's Kyoya? I don't know anyone with that name. Where did that thought come from. A mystery…' (A.N. Can you feel the Fourth Wall breaking? XD)

Togami looked my way, arms crossed and a frown on his face. "What're you looking at?" he asked.

"Uh, nothing!" Naegi said, turning away.

I grinned cheekily at Togami. "The wall behind you. I didn't even notice you." I turned away as he spluttered, an embarrassed blush on his cheeks as his composure was lost.

A white-haired girl was staring at the floor, lost in thought, with her hand on her chin. 'I don't know what her Ultimate is,' I thought. 'Oh well. I'll profile her anyway. Kyoko Kirigiri: Calm and reserved. Has trust issues, but is very smart. A loner who doesn't socialize. Similar to me, so a definite friend option.'

Under Naegi's and my scrutiny, Kirigiri looked up. "Yes?"

"Uh, it's nothing!" said Naegi, waving his hands in front of him in an apologetic manner. He turned away and started talking to a pretty blue-haired girl he seemed to know. From his nervous body language, I could tell he really liked her. I nodded to Kirigiri and studied the blue-haired girl.

'Sayaka Maizono, Ultimate Pop Sensation. Very sweet and kind, but weak-willed and relies on others quite often. She seems almost too sweet to be true...' Even so, I smiled as she teased Naegi.

"How long must you fool around?" Togami asked snidely, walking up to us, a frown on his face. "We have pressing matters to attend to!" He adjusted his glasses, glaring at me as I raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?" I asked.

He turned away. "Why are we in this predicament? If someone is behind this, then who?"

I nodded, appreciating the drama put into his statements.

Fukawa pulled at her hair, trembling. "Isn't this basically confinement?"

'You need to be put in confinement,' I thought, staring at her like some kind of crazy science project.

"And like, where the heck did they hide my stuff?" Enoshima whined. "My cell is missing!"

"WHA-?!" we all said, searching our pockets. Oh HELL no! If I couldn't read my online books, I'd probably die. Since learning how to read, books had been my closest companions and I would sooner kill than lose them. (A.N. Foreshadowing?)

"Mine is gone too," Sakura said calmly. "Does this mean that they were taken?"

"Don't look so bummed out!" Hagakure said, one eye closed and his hand on his chin. "I bet it's all part of the school's orientation." Suddenly, he jerked back, posing with a crystal ball in front of him while his jacket flapped. "That's what my readin' says!"

"For real?" Kuwata asked, a disbelieving look on his face. "And are they ever right?"

"I've got a whoppin' 30% success rate!" Hagakure proclaimed proudly. He then winced as Fukawa scoffed.

"A-A measly 30%?"

'Still 100% better than your attitude!' I glared at her and she shrank back.

A loud screech filled the air, causing everyone to yelp and cover their ears.

"Ah! Ah! Mike test! Mike test!" yelled a high-pitched voice. The speakers on a stage in the corner of the gym shook as the voice continued. "This good? You can hear me, can't you?"

I turned to look at a podium in the center of the stage. 'It'd be impossible for us NOT to hear you!' I thought crossly.

"Hey, new students! I would like to start the welcoming ceremony now!"

"See?" Hagakure said smugly. "This is how Hope's Peak High welcomes in the new!"

"No, you are mistaken," Kirigiri said smoothly.

I glanced at her. How could she know? As far as I could tell, it was as good a guess as any. I stared back at the podium and narrowed my eyes. Where was the principal?

As if sensing my thoughts, a flash of black and white popped out. As it landed on the podium, I saw that it was a small bear robot/doll thing. He had a sweet and gentle looking white side and a dark side with a creepy grin and a red lightning bolt-shaped eye. He had a white circle on his stomach with a little belly button.

'Oh. My. KAMI-SAMA! He's SO cute!' I mentally fangirled, keeping a straight face. (A.N. I literally yelled this when I first saw Monokuma. I still think he's freaking adorable!) Everybody else jerked back, surprise evident.

"A stuffed animal?" Naegi asked, snapping me out of my thoughts on how soft the bear might be and if I would still look like the cool person I am if I hugged it.

"I'm no stuffed animal!" the bear yelled, waving his little arms. "I'm Monokuma!" He stood on the podium and pointed a thumb at himself. "I'm the principal of this school, making me yer principal!" Adopting a cute pose, he said "Nice to meet ya!"

'So that's where the "yer" came from. You'd think for a principal he'd- wait, WHAT?!" I thought. 'That cute bear can TAlK and is our PRINCIPAl?!'

Seconding my thought, Yamada yelled and jerked back. "Gah! The stuffed animal moves!"

The bear put a paw on his chest and repeated himself. "I'm Monokuma, not a stuffed animal. And I'm the principal to boot!"

"The principal?" Naegi asked.

"Well, I'd like to move along, so let's get this ball rolling!" Monokuma exclaimed, standing on his toes and waving his arms in the air. Straightening, he shouted, "Stand!" Then he bowed and yelled, "Bow! Good morning, punks!"

I had to fight to contain my laughter as Ishimaru repeated the gesture, scaring Fukawa.

"Good morning!"

"Don't play along!"

Monokuma put his hands behind his back solemnly. "Overflowin' with potential, you high schoolers... are none other than the hope of the world!" He threw his paws into the air, then crossed them. "In order to protect our wonderful rays of hope, yer expected to live here on campus and nowhere else!"

"What?!" we said again.

"Wait a sec-" Naegi started.

"What the hell?!" Enoshima yelled, outrage on her face.

"As for the cut-off period for this communal life.." Monokuma raised one paw, ignoring our expressions, then switched to the other paw. "...There is no such cut-off period!" Hopping from foot to foot as we gasped, he continued. "In other words, yer gonna spend the rest of yer lives in here!"

"Wha-What did you just say?" Kuwata choked out.

"Here, forever...?" whimpered Fujisaki. I moved closer to her to offer support, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Aw, don't worry." Monokuma consoled, misreading our reactions. "The budget is large enough that you'll never go without."

"Wait a moment!" Maizono protested. "That isn't the problem!"

"This can't be legit!" snarled Enoshima.

"Are the iron plates in the classrooms and halls meant to keep us in?!" asked Naegi angrily.

"Yep!" Monokuma answered cheerfully. "So you can scream all you want, but no one's gonna come save ya!"

"This is an outrage, you can't keep us prisoner!" I declared, earning nods from the students around me.

"If what you say is true, then it is most disconcerting." Celestia said, hand over her mouth. "We could not possibly live here forever."

"Ahem," coughed Monokuma, hands on his hips, looking the very picture of benevolence. "For those of you who wanna leave, I've established a certain rule!"

My head shot up the same time as Togami's. He glanced at me, glasses flashing. "A rule?"

"What kind of rule?" I asked, interested. It sounded like some kind of challenge, and would make sense if this school required some sort of extra test to be completed.

"You are free to murder anyone you like! Whee!" Monokuma dived forward off the podium, excitement coloring his tone. As he spun in the air, he continued in that excited tone. "The only student permitted to leave is one who has committed murder!" He landed on his feet, paws up. "It's a simple rule, and the only one."

I stared at Monokuma in complete shock as he reeled off methods of murder nonchalantly.

"Stab! Club! Slice open! Torch! Crush! Strangle! Cast a curse! Pupupupu!" He sank out of view and reappeared with a wriggling salmon. Shaking it, his back to us, he said. "Humans and salmon can't understand the excitement the endorphins are releasing in my body!" He threw the fish and turned his dark side to us, giving us a nasty grin. "Fellow 'rays of hope' are thrown into a situation where they must murder each other!" He shook with laughter and turned to fully face us, grasping his hands as he blushed, closing his eyes and shuddering in bliss. "It's so exciting!" He began sweating and breathing heavily.

"Are you serious?!" yelled Kuwata angrily.

"Why?!" Maizono asked desperately. "Why must we kill each other?!"

"This is a sick joke!" I shouted, getting angry.

"What she said!" agreed Yamada, waving his arms angrily. "Cut this load of crap! Now let us go home!"

"A load of crap?" questioned an outraged Monokuma, his red eye glowing. "How dare you call any of this 'a load of crap?!' Listen up! From now on,this school is yer home, yer society,and yer world!" Strutting through our ranks, bad mood forgotten, he practically sang. "I'm gonna let you kill to yer heart's content, so kill, kill, and kill some more!"

"You want a battle royale?!" growled Ohwada, crouching down to glare at Monokuma, light purple eyes flashing angrily. "Yer takin' this sick prank too friggin' far!"

"What's sick?!" asked Monokuma airily, one paw on his hips and the other pointed at Ohwada's head. "You don't mean that sick hairstyle, do you?"

"Why you-!" shouted Ohwada, hoisting Monokuma up by the throat. "I don't care if you're a remote control toy or a stuffed animal!" He shook Monokuma roughly. "I'm gonna flippin' tear you to pieces!"

"AAAH!" yelped Monokuma, waving his arms and legs wildly. "The school rules state not to harm the principal!"

His red eye started flashing, slowly at first, then picking up speed, a beeping noise accompanying it.

"What's that noise?" asked Ohwada, gaze fixed on the blinking eye.

I gasped, because anyone even slightly familiar with television or action novels knows what flashing lights and beeping means…BOOM!

Kirigiri and I yelled at the same time.

"It's a bomb! THROW IT!"

"No good! THROW IT!"

"What?!" asked Ohwada, a freaked-out look on his face.

"Just do it!" Kirigiri ordered.

With a growl, Ohwada turned and threw Monokuma just as the beeping noise reached it's climax.

Monokuma exploded in midair, leaving my classmates, especially Ohwada with shocked expressions.

"What the heck…?" Naegi whispered.

"It blew up…!" Ohwada gasped, sweat running down his shaking form.

"Did that stuffed animal die?" Fujisaki asked hopefully.

"I'm not a stuffed animal- I'm Monokuma!"

I gasped and whirled around, classmates mimicking my actions. Once again, a black and white blob popped out of the podium.

"Tada!" exclaimed Monokuma, landing lightly.

"B-Bastard!" yelled Ohwada.

"I'm letting you off with a warning this time," warned Monokuma, paws on his hips. "But if I ever see someone break the school rules again…" Suddenly angry and with claws, he thundered at us. "I will activate another great physical punishment!"

Seeming pleased with his pronouncement, he adopted a lighter tone. "Well, that's it for the welcoming ceremony. Please enjoy an enriching school life filled with intrigue!" Waving both paws, Monokuma sank back into the podium, leaving sixteen very concerned students.

'Monokuma, the principal of Hope's Peak academy. Adorable, funny, and sarcastic. Also… a sadistic villain intent on forcing myself and my classmates to kill each other. Story Level raised from mystery to outright horror. Goal: Stay alive.'


	3. Chapter 2: I Murdered a Mouse

**A.N. Sorry guys! I was super busy with finals and AP exams, so I had no time to update! I'll try to be more on task over the summer, but I am still pretty busy. I love reviews, so please tell me what you think! On a happy note, thanks SO much for the likes and follows from:**

**Ms. Imaginative, Sam 726, Gunzi's Poochy, anavill4321, cici394, kolulu100, &amp; WinterSky1.**

**I'm SUPER happy and as a thank-you, I'm posting a long chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Ayano, who was designed on an app. If I did own**

**Dangan Ronpa, the second season would've come out already!**

**Ok, I'm redoing all of this! More descriptions, "Super High School Level" to "Ultimate" and more about the characters! Oh, and I'm dropping the honorifics, because….life.**

To say that we were concerned would be an understatement. Some of my classmates looked like they were going to panic. Of course, who could blame them? They had just been told that they were going to be trapped here forever unless they committed murder!

'Okay,' I thought, calming my thoughts and adapting to my situation. 'I know the rules of the game and I know the stakes. What I don't know is what the others are thinking...' I glanced at Celestia as she started speaking, a bored look look on her face as she twirled her hair.

"So if we kill someone here, we can leave this facility," she mused.

"But that is absurd…" Ishimaru muttered, a forced smile on his features.

"Please, tell me this can't be real." Fujisaki whispered, about to cry.

"It's okay," I told her solemnly. "This is just a tasteless joke." My words sounded false, but Fujisaki smiled gratefully at me.

"Even so," Togami frowned at us, his arms crossed. "The issue isn't whether or not this is real, but rather whether someone takes what he says seriously."

"Hmm," I hummed speculatively, a finger on my chin. "Good point." I glanced around at everyone, only to see them doing the same. We were just kids, talented kids, but kids all the same! Did anyone here have the capacity or desire to commit murder? 'I'll have to keep a careful eye on everyone...This school… is a school of despair!'

* * *

**Classmate Total: 16 :) 0 *_***

"Well, Sakura?" asked Asahina as they stood on the bleachers. Sakura had the idea of using her awesome strength to smash a hole through the wall. We watched eagerly, and I had my pen out, taking more notes on each of my classmates.

Sakura reeled back and with a shout, sent a punch that shook the whole gym, sending shockwaves through the wall.

'Was her fist on FIRE?!" I thought incredulously. 'Awesome!'

Sadly, the wall absorbed the shockwaves and showed no signs of damage. "Tis too much, even for I!" Sakura said.

Beside me, Naegi turned on a device that had been given to each of us. The screen

lit up and the words "Digital Notebook" appeared.

"Hot stuff!" exclaimed Hagakure. "I could totally dig the digital notebook!"

I smiled at him, recognizing the need to find something good about this situation. I bit my lip and stroked the chain around my ne-what? I don't wear necklaces that often…

While everyone watched Hagakure, I pulled the chain from where it was tucked into my dress. My eyes were rewarded with the sight of a silver heart, about the size of a ping-pong ball and less than a millimeter thick. I studied the paper-thin charm, seeing only metal and a tiny indention that was actually a word.

'Hope,' I read, frowning a little. 'We certainly need some, but why do I have this? I'm sure that I've never seen this before…'

"No luck!" Asahina announced, jumping off the bleachers and landing lightly.

"Same here!" Ohwada yelled angrily. He and Kuwata were investigating the podium, to no avail. "Tch, damn it!" Ohwada cursed and kicked the podium.

"Gents! You must not lose hope!" encouraged Ishimaru, pointing at us."There must be a means to escape somewhere! He clenched his fist decisively.

"Yup!" Asahina nodded eagerly. "Just moping around here won't get us anywhere, right?"

"Indeed not," Sakura agreed.

Snapping my notepad shut and tucking the heart back under my dress, I turned and sighed. "The best thing to do is split up and search for a way out."

"Fine then!" Kuwata said from his place at the podium. "Guys, let's search this place over."

'Of course,' I thought pessimistically. 'That provides the perfect opportunity for any would-be murderers to try their luck. Still, we've no choice but to give each other the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I'm sure that some of these kids couldn't hurt a fly.' I looked over at Fujisaki, who seemed to be hiding behind me. I stared ahead grimly, gauging the personalities of my classmates. 'Anyone who tries to hurt me will be sorry.'

"I will go by myself." Togami pronounced, cutting through my dark thoughts like a knife. Everyone turned to him.

"Why?!" Enoshima glared, hands on her hips.

Togami ignored her and walked forward. "There already may be one in our midst who is planning to commit murder." Walking past me, he glanced at me questioningly and continued walking

'What was that about?' I thought.

Maizono stepped towards Togami. "No one would-"

"You cannot deny the possibility." Togami said, cutting her off.

"Wait, dammit!" yelled Ohwada, running in front of him and waving a fist. "You can't do whatever the hell you want!"

"Move it, plankton."

"What did you call me?!"

Togami sneered. "Plankton. Tiny, insignificant, and of no consequence to the might of the ocean."

"Looks like you've got a deathwish!" Ohwada cracked his knuckles..

'Oh brother,' I thought, stepping forward.

"W-Wait a second!" Naegi ran to the arguing boys. "How is fighting amongst ourselves going to help?!"

"What?" said Ohwada, turning his attention to Naegi and glaring. "You feedin' me crap? Tryin' to lecture me? Teach me right from wrong?!"

"That's not what I-" yelled Naegi, waving his hands and stepping back.

"Shut it!" Ohwada's fist came flying and Maizono cried out.

'Great, just great.' I said, as Naegi fell to the ground. I felt my anger rise and writhe around inside me, but I took a deep breath. 'Calm down and take control of the situation. If no one else will, you have to.' Nodding, I put two fingers to my mouth and let out a piercing whistle.

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at me as I walked over to Naegi. 'He'll be okay," I thought, bending down to check his injuries, a relieved smile on my face. 'It's just a bump. I doubt he has a concussion.' Straightening, I faced my classmates.

"All better?" I purred, condescension pointed at everyone there. "Feel like grown-ups now that the person trying to help has been dealt with?"

Ohwada spluttered and started forward, but I froze him with a steely glare and continued in a much harder tone.

"In case you lot have forgotten, we are in a situation where we could be KILLED. Instead of accepting that and doing our best to get along and not provoke any unwanted violence, you choose to alienate yourselves with smart-ass remarks and ham-handed blows."

Togami jerked back, shock on his face (as well as a blush), and Ohwada looked down, slightly ashamed.

"You," I said, pointing at Ohwada. "You lead gangs of fighters all across the country. We will need your leadership skills, strength, and anger to escape, and wasting it on each other will only paint a target on your back, as a victim and a suspect."

I turned to Togami. "As for you, that bullcrap 'loner' attitude of yours will only do the same, if not make you more of a target." I lowered my voice menacingly. "A solitary victim is much easier to kill than one surrounded by others and besides…if no one here likes you, who will try very hard to catch your killer?"

Togami glared at me, then lowered his head in acknowledgement.

"Now," I said, choosing my words carefully. "We need to look for a way out. The only way to do that effectively is to split up. Everyone will pair off,and search an area of the school. Can we agree to this like civilized people?"

Everyone nodded, mixed expressions of respect (Ohwada, Sakura, Kirigiri, Kuwata, and Celestia), admiration (Asahina, Fujisaki, Ishimaru, Hagakure, Maizono), fear (Fukawa, and Yamada), or anger (Togami, and Enoshima).

"Yes, Maizono-san?" I asked, faintly amused at how she raised her hand.

"Can Naegi be my partner? I want to make sure that he's alright."

"Sure," I answered gratefully. "Sakura? Could you please carry him to the room with his name on it? The rules say sleeping outside your dorm is punishable, and we don't need anymore bear bombs. The Digital Notebook should have a map."

"Can I go with Sakura? We'll search after Naegi is in his room!" Asahina-san exclaimed.

"Sure. As for the rest of you…" I took a deep breath. "Togami and Fukawa, Ohwada and Celestia, Kirigiri and Yamada, Ishimaru and Hagakure, Enoshima and Kuwata, and Fujisaki and I. Are these groups acceptable? Good. Let's see if we can escape this sick game. We'll meet in the cafeteria in half an hour."

* * *

**Classmate Total: 16 :) 0 *_***

"Miss Tsukino"

"What's up, Fujisaki?" I asked, walking down the hallway to the kitchens, still irritated at my fellow classmates.

"H-How can you be so confident? I'd be terrified talking to Ohwada, let alone Togami…"

I stopped and turned to the shy girl looking at the ground. "To be completely truthful, I'm not confident at all. In fact, I'm very insecure about this whole situation, and I'm terrified that someone is going to get seriously hurt."

"What?" Fujisaki looked very confused.

"It's kind of hard to explain…" I put my hands behind my back ruefully.

"I am an artist, so my job is to bring worlds to life, which means I need to able to adapt quickly and work past my fears. As afraid of being laughed at or shunned as I am, I am more afraid of losing control of a situation. An author commands the world in which they write, so they always control the situation. It's the same with painting, sewing, singing, and so on. Artists have control over how they live their lives. This school scares the hell out of me, because I don't have the control I crave. As such, I will continue to adapt into whatever I need to be to regain control."

"I-I think I understand." Fujisaki looked up at me and smiled. "It's even more amazing that you can control yourself like that. I wish I could do the same."

"Well," I said, walking to the kitchen door. "I don't see any reason why you can't. You just need to fully commit to the choice, and not allow others to influence you. Instead, influence others with your ideas." I opened the doors and looked around. The kitchen was very impressive, with a ton of fresh and healthy-looking food, as well as any assortment of junk food we could crave.

"Wow!" exclaimed Fujisaki. "There's a ton of food in here!"

"Yes," I said slowly, opening the fridge and the cupboards, trying to gauge how much food was available. "But how long can it sustain sixteen people?"

"Not to worry!" a voice exclaimed, making us jump.

Monokuma hopped into our line of sight.

"What's not to worry?" I asked wearily, bracing myself for some gruesome twist, like: "You privileged brats won't be alive long enough to run out!"

As if sensing my thoughts, Monokuma covered his mouth with his paws. "Pupupu. As if it would be that simple. No, you spoiled brats are the hope of the world, so yer here for the long haul. The refrigerator is automatically refilled everyday. Besides," he struck a pose, paws behind his back in a solemn manner. "I'm yer principal, so it's my job to protect you. What kind of principal harms his students?"

"So you can't harm us…" Fujisaki chirped happily.

"Not true." I said accusingly. "What about the Monokuma-bomb thing?"

"Er, well…" Monokuma trailed off, his face red. Then, he brightened. "If a student breaks a rule, then it's my job to expel them." He turned his smirking dark side toward us. "How I choose to expel someone who is no longer my student is up to me."

"I see," I said, creeped out. "So you won't harm us unless we break a rule, but we are free and encouraged to harm ourselves and each other."

"Pupupu, I'm glad to see I have an A+ student. Why don't you try for valedictorian?" Snickering, Monokuma walked back to the corner and somehow vanished from our line of sight.

I stood there, replaying the conversation with the bear. 'We might just have a chance...That food has to come from somewhere...'

"We'd better head to the cafeteria, Miss Tsukino." Fujisaki said, interrupting my staring match with the spot where Monokuma had vanished.

"Ayano." I said, my mind whirring with possibilities of escape.

"Huh?"

"I'd like you to call me Ayano," I said, turning to head back the way we came. "Tsukino is much too stiff for me and besides, we're classmates, right? We should be friends."

"A-Alright." Fujisaki looked down, a shy smile on her face. "In that case, could you call me Chihiro?"

"Absolutely!" I said, making Chihiro's cheeks turn red.

"Well then," she said hesitantly. "Should we go?"

Nodding, I led the way to the cafeteria and entered just as Naegi and Maizono turned the corner.

"Oh, good!" I breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that you're alright Naegi." I held the door open for him and the others.

"Thanks," he said nervously.

I grinned cheekily at him. "No problem."

"Are you alright, Naegi?!" Asahina said worriedly. She and the others were already seated at a long white table in the middle of the red-tiled cafeteria, the exceptions being Togami and Fukawa, who elected to sit at a nearby round table.

"Y-Yeah, thanks," Naegi answered, sitting next to Ohwada and Ishimaru. Chihiro and I sat next to Asahina, leaving Kirigiri on my left and Naegi across from me.

Ohwada had his eyes closed and his feet on the table, but must've felt me burning a hole in his face because he opened his eyes and looked at Naegi.

"Hey! Sorry 'bout that, Naegi."

"It-It's okay, Ohwada." Naegi-kun smiled. "All things considered, I can't blame you for being on edge."

I raised an eyebrow at Ohwada's familiarity. 'I wonder if it's a biker thing. I suppose I should follow what I told Chihiro and start thinking of these guys in a more familiar way.'

"That is all of us, is it not?" Celestia said, twirling a lock of hair on her claw. "I sincerely doubt that anyone will commit murder with witnesses present."

"Then let us begin!" announced Ishimaru. "I hereby declare that the first Hope's Peak Academy regular report shall take place here and now!" As he spoke, we all looked at our Digital Notebooks in order to better understand the layout. I also pulled out my pen, ready to write down anything I deemed important.  
"Let us present the fruit of our searches," Ishimaru continued. "And share our information!"

_Group 1: Celestia and Ohwada_

"I tried kickin' down the door more than once, but it didn't work." Ohwada reported. "It was as hard as iron! Even Sakura and I combined didn't put a dent in it."

"I would imagine so," Celestiainterjected. "It was iron."

_Group 2: Sakura and Asahina_

"Within the school halls, there was a stairwell leading to the second floor," Sakura said.

"But the shutters were down and we couldn't lift them up!" finished Asahina.

_Group 3: Kyoko and Yamada_

"In other words," Kyoko said. "At this point in time we can only investigate a limited portion of the building."

"The private rooms in the dorm area were nice enough for the time being..." Yamada said, describing the blue-tiled rooms with red walls that would be ours for the next month. "...minus the surveillance camera and iron plates."

"Also, the rooms are soundproof, so anyone could be screaming, and we'll never know." Kyoko added.

"Lovely," I muttered.

_Group 4: Chihiro and I_

"The refrigerator was stuffed with plenty of food." Chihiro-chan said. "It doesn't look like food is an issue."

"But no matter how plentiful," interjected Yamada, mimicking my earlier thoughts. "How long can it sustain sixteen people?"

"That isn't a problem." I said calmly.

Chihiro nodded. "Everyday the refrigerator will be automatically replenished, or so Monokuma said." she smiled.

Leon and Junko jerked up. "You saw him?!" she yelled, surprised.

Chihiro nodded happily. "Yep! He appeared when Ayano and I were checking the refrigerator. And then he wandered off somewhere."

"The point is," I added after Leon and Junko deflated. "Fresh food has to come from somewhere. How it gets into the school could be our way out."

My classmates seemed to brighten a bit, nodding and murmuring approval. Ishimaru-kun nodded and coughed. "Is that all you wish to report?"

"Also, Monokuma's ability to appear… I think it's because there are a lot of him all over the school," I ventured.

"That makes sense," Togami agreed, scowling, "but who is the mastermind controlling them?"

_Group 5: Fukawa and Togami-er Byakuya_

"We can't find a way out and we still don't know who is behind this…" Fukawa muttered, biting her thumb. "That investigation was a waste of time!"

'You're a waste of time,' I thought crossly. There was something strange about this girl, something that put me on edge and made me want to judo throw her to the floor.

"Really?" Celestia questioned, her hand acting as a fan over her mouth. "But did we not discern something as a result? We learned the undeniable fact that we have been locked inside a closed space with no escape." Her wide eyes stared unblinkingly at each of us as she leaned forward.

Fukawa screamed, her hands running through her hair. "Wh-What should I do?!"

"Didn't Monokuma already make that clear?" Byakuya stared straight ahead, not looking at the deranged female. "If you want out, simply kill someone."

"Don't joke about that!" Junko yelled.

"Isn't there a better way out?!" Leon yelled, clutching his head.

"Simply adapt." Celestia broke in, smiling at me and shaking her head at the others.

"What?" Junko asked irritably.

"You merely need to adapt. You may not realize it, but at least one of us can transform herself to match the situation, whether it's leader or investigator."

I gripped my pen and notepad as my classmates turned to look at me. "Celestia is correct." I began, switching my body language to appear confident, despite my doubts. "As an artist, the ability to adapt is of the utmost importance. Following the food is a slim chance, so we need to have backup plan upon backup plan, even if they involve staying here."

"You tellin' me to suck it up and live here?" Junko scoffed.

"As another who can adapt, let me say this; it's neither the smart nor the strong who survive," Celestia countered, smirking while linking her hands. "It is only those who accept change. Do you understand?" Raising her voice from the gentle murmur it had been up to that point, she continued. "With that in mind, I wish to offer everyone a suggestion."

"Yeah? What is it?" Ohwada said.

"The school rules mention designated 'night hours,'" Celestia gestured to her Digital Notebook.

Looking at my own, I read, "The hours from 10p.m. to 7a.m. are designated 'night hours.' Please bear in mind that some areas are restricted during night hours."

"Why don't we add a rule of our own?"

"What rule?" asked Junko suspiciously.

"'No one may leave their room during the night hours.' That is all." answered Celestia.

"H-Huh? Why?" exclaimed Fukawa.

"Think about it." Celestia became serious. "As things stand, we will tremble in fear every night. We'll wonder, 'Is someone coming to kill me?'"

Asahina, Sayaka, and Chihiro all gasped, and Chihiro grabbed my hand. I patted her hand comfortingly while listening intently. 'Celestia is very smart. She saw right through me and proceeded to throw me under the bus. I like her a lot, but I wonder if she can be trusted?'

"However, unlike the school rules, this is not compulsory. It would require everyone's cooperation."

Dead silence greeted her request.

"Come now." I stood up, ready to leave. "What's the harm to agreeing to such a rule? In this sort of situation, we are forced to have a certain trust for each other, so this kind of suggestion makes perfect sense. It's also very smart, because those who seem reluctant to agree could be deemed less trustworthy than others." Several eyes followed mine as I stared at Fukawa, a sweet smile on my face. "I have nothing to hide and no agenda to kill, so I will happily agree."

All at once, my classmates began yelling out or muttering their assent. After watching everyone carefully, I nodded happily.

"In that case, I'll be looking for something to read. Let's try to calm down and start heading to our rooms. If not each other, we can at least kill time."

Without waiting for an answer from my flabbergasted classmates, (A.N. Hee hee, I love that word. It's almost as fun as incognito. What weird words do you guys like?) I left to find my room.

My room was very nice and I definitely appreciated the fact that my bag had been left on the bed. Inside it, I found the five books I'd brought with me.

'Thank goodness I always bring so many books! I'd go insane without them. These won't last long though, not with all the free time we have.'

Glancing up, I noticed the camera that Yamada had mentioned. I waved jauntily at the lens, then walked around my room, watching how the camera followed me.

'It seems the bathroom is the only blind spot...' I sighed and walked to the closet, raising an eyebrow at the rows of dresses identical to the one I was wearing. 'Yep. I'm officially creeped out. Story Progress: The heroine discovers that her principal is a plushy stalker intent on forcing her to kill...hmm, not bad. I should write down what happens to me; maybe I can turn it into a novel...'

I fingered the chain around my neck, remembering my surprise at finding it there. At my gesture, the camera lens zoomed in. Suddenly desperate to keep the charm hidden, I strolled nonchalantly to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

I pulled out the charm and studied it carefully. Aside from the inscription, the surface appeared flawless at first glance. Looking closer, I could see tiny swirls creating a complex pattern.

'This is so weird.'

Letting the chain fall, I leaned against the wall opposite the door, absentmindedly running my hands over the wall's bumpy surface behind me. Feeling a small hollow, I began tracing the outline.

"I wonder if anyone here would be desperate enough to kill in order to escape. I'm certainly not, though I do miss my family.' Thoughts of my little brother and parents filled my head. 'They would never want me to take someone's future away. Even if it means that I'll never get to see them again.' I shook my head fiercely, refusing to cry.

'Think about other things, like how fun it was to mess with Togami. Just because he is the heir to a world famous company doesn't mean he's better, it just means that he is lonelier. I'm sure that he's just as nervous as the rest of us and- dang this little hollow curves like a heart…!'

Spinning around, I crouched to look at the wall, quickly finding the hollow at about the same height as a doorknob.

'No, it couldn't be,' I scoffed, my inner investigator fangirling. 'The chances that this little hole matches my mysterious necklace are astronomical and- what the hell, I'm doing it.'

Unclasping the chain, I push the heart into the hole to see...jack squat. Laughing at my foolhardiness, I pulled the heart out of the hollow. 'Well, that was dramatic.' Staring at the charm, a little disappointed, I saw the word 'Hope.' I smiled.

"If this were a book, the trick would be something cheesy like, 'I put the Hope side down, so of course it didn't work. Never cover Hope! Instead face it and- oh my kami this is happening."

Hesitantly, I pushed the heart back into the hollow. Seamlessly, with no noise, a rectangular hole appeared next to the area with the hollow keyhole.

I peered into what seemed to be a long tunnel. 'Hmm… is this one of those stories where the idiot wanders into a dark place and is subsequently killed or one where the heroine finds the way to save everyone. Only an idiot would go in without being sure...why do I even bother? I can't pass up the chance to find a way out.'

Stepping into the dark, tiled tunnel, I felt my way down the hall, super alert for murderous clowns and/or demonic spiders. I rounded a bend and ended up in a room. Feeling along the wall, I found a switch and turned it on.

Light flooded a white tiled room the size of the gym, revealing a large, black painted circle on the floor and machines of some kind. They kind of looked like silver tanning booths. Sixteen of these machines were placed along the wall, a white cloth covering each one. A red light beeped underneath the seventh one in line. Curious, I grasped the sheet covering it and pulled.

My hand shot over my mouth to muffle the surprised shriek that left my body. Lying underneath the glass screen of the machine was...me. Or at least, a copy of me. She had my hairstyle, my clothes, everything. She took slow, deep breaths, as if she was sleeping. At my scream, she moved, waking up from her slumber. Horrified, I could only watch as my doppleganger opened her eyes, MY eyes, and smiled at me, excited.

"I'm so glad you found us! Now we can make sure that everyone stays safe!"

My voice.

Backpedaling, I scrambled to flip off the light and run back down the hall.

"Wait! I'm sorry I scared you! Let me out and I'll explain properly!"

'No way!' I thought, my heart hammering against my chest. Running back into my bathroom, I ripped the necklace out of the wall and slid to the ground as the door sealed shut.

Gasping, I held the necklace over the toilet, ready to flush the damn thing.

'Wait, what if I need it?' I thought. I groaned. Every part of me wanted the chain gone, but my instincts told me I should hold on to it, just in case. 'There could be another place to put the charm in, maybe an exit..And if I have it, I can ensure that that room stays sealed.' I put the necklace back on and tucked the charm into my dress, determined to never go back to that room unless it was absolutely necessary.

* * *

**Classmate Total: 16 :) 0 *_***

We spent the next day searching for an exit. And the day after that. But failing to get anywhere, our time was spent in vain. The whole time, all I could think about was that room and my doppelganger's joy. We met daily to report our findings.

Leon groaned, running a hand through his orange hair. "I can't find any clues, no matter how many times I search the same areas!"

"Yup," one of the boys agreed forlornly.

"Is it true that we can't go home? That help isn't coming?" Chihiro whimpered, tears in her eyes. Sayaka, Asahina, and I all moved to comfort her.

"Don't you worry, Chihiro!" Asahina said excitedly. "I'm sure help will be here in no time!"

Everyone turned to her.

"What?! Help?!" gasped Fukawa.

"For real?!" yelled Junko.

Asahina looked surprised and put a finger to her mouth speculatively. "It's been a whole three days since we first got locked up!" She held up three fingers, then saluted. "Clearly the police are on the case by now!"

"AHAHAHA!"

Everyone jumped out of their chairs and turned to the head of the table to see Monokuma at the head of the table.

"The police? You're relying on the police?" Monokuma asked incredulously. He leaned forward, allowing me, standing the closest to him, to see the gears behind his red eye. "Honestly, if you're that eager to leave, why don't you kill someone?"

I clenched my fist, the only sign of anger on my otherwise bored appearance. Byakuya had a similar position, I noticed. I felt a glimmer of respect for him and his ability to keep cool under pressure.

Monokuma sighed and crossed his paws, looking up and to the right speculatively. "For members of the 'Leisure Generation,' you've sure got guts!" He started drawing circles on the table with his paw. "But I'm personally finding this a bit boring."

Naegi glared at the bear. "D-Don't think you can trick us into killing someone!"

"That's it!" declared Monokuma, smashing a white fist into his black hand decisively, then crossing his paws and swaying in his chair. "I was wondering why there wasn't a murder when I've prepared the perfect place, people, environment, and mystery!" He raised his paws into the air. "That's the deal. I was short one thing!"

"Wh-What were you missin'?" asked Leon fearfully.

"Would our Ultimate Artist like to answer?" Monokuma playfully asked.

I took a deep breath, understanding what was missing. " We're missing what every criminal need: a reason for committing a crime. Bluntly put, a motive."

"Excellent!" praised Monokuma. "As such, I've got somethin' for you in the Multimedia Room!" He put a paw in front of his face as he laughed, a blush appearing on his face.

"The Multimedia Room?" questioned Naegi, a scowl on his features.

We followed the laughing bear, his distinctive "Pupupu" leading the way. Inside the Multimedia Room, we were each handed a DVD with our name on it. Staring at it, I felt dread pool in my stomach.

'What could be on this that would make us want to commit murder?' I thought, frightened. 'I need to watch my classmates and make sure that they don't snap.'

Taking a deep breath, I sat down and put my headphones on. A picture of Monokuma's face spun and the words "Now Loading" appeared. Then, I was greeted by the smiling faces of my family members.

I smiled broadly, happy to see them. They were at a table in our library, surrounded by books that we'd sat for hours reading together.

"Ayano, we just want you to know that we love you so much!" my mother gushed. "I just know that you'll be the best student there! Don't ever give up!"

"If you meet any boys, make sure that they have the intelligence to match yours." my dad said solemnly, then smiled and made a fist. "And if they try anything, throw them to the ground and pulverize 'em! I know you're strong enough!"

I laughed, all my troubles forgotten.

"Big sis, congrats!" my little brother, Hiro smiled. "Things have been weird without you, but I'm glad that you're having fun! Try not to creep everyone out with your notepad and make some friends for once! I miss you, so you'd better be amazing!"

"We love you!" they all chorused.

I was crying at this point, overwhelmed. 'Is Monokuma trying to make us miss home enough to kill?'

Then the picture became fuzzy and filled with static. The picture of my family turned into a dark shot of the library. My parents and Hiro were gone, the table was smashed, and...all the books on the shelves had been ripped to pieces, scorch marks blackened the shelves, and deep gouges marred the walls.

I gasped, anger making my vision turn red. The anger I'd been trying to contain since I woke up in this hellhole was threatening to explode. Around me, people gasped and stared at their screens. I could only imagine what they saw on their screens.

"What could've happened here?" Monokuma's voice came on over the speakers. "This place where little Ayano spent years of her life making happy memories? Ah, well, I'm sure the answer will fuel many fine horror stories and dark paintings. Pupupupu!" The screen went dark and through the haze of my red vision, I saw the words, "Find out the answer upon graduation!"

My hands were shaking, and I gripped the computer mouse tightly. "Why that-" I gasped, my grip tightening and cracking the mouse, a roar in my ears. "I-I need to leave! I need to get out of this place right now! My family! If anyone's hurt them I'll-" A silent scream tore itself from my lips and the mouse shattered in my grip, shocking me. I breathed heavily, tears blinding me, but washing away the red.

'I need to calm down,' I thought, struggling to control my rage. 'I refuse to give in to that stupid bear.' My family's words floated around in my head. "Don't ever give up!...I know you're strong enough!...I miss you, so you better be amazing!"

'I can't let them down.' That thought became a mantra that I repeated until I was calm enough to stand shakily. To my surprise only a few seconds had passed, everyone staring at their screens, except Byakuya, who was staring at my shattered mouse in shock.

I smiled weakly at him and saw a flash of emotion in his eyes before he turned away. 'Was that...sympathy?'

Suddenly, Sayaka screamed and reeled back into the wall, pure panic on her face. "No!" She wrapped her arms around herself, visibly shaking. "No way! If I don't… If I don't hurry out of here…!"

"Sayaka!"

As Naegi leapt to the rescue, I watched Sayaka as she fell to her knees, concern on my face, but red flags, alarms, and other various sirens going off in my head. 'Whatever she saw was her tipping point! She doesn't care anymore! Murderer!'

"Why...did this have to happen?" Sayaka whimpered, her face red with emotion, her body curled up, and one hand on her head. "Kill or be killed? I can't take any more of this!"

"Pupupu!" On the big screen in the back on the room, Monokuma appeared.

Kyoko stood up. "Who exactly are you?" She crossed her arms, radiating calm. "Why are you doing this? What do you want from us?"

Onscreen, Monokuma leaned back in his armchair, resting his head on one paw and waving the other nonchalantly. "What do I want from you? Oh, that?" He jumped forward, his face and frightening eyes filling the screen. "Despair! That's all I want!"

"No!" Sayaka screamed and ran from the room, Naegi running after her.

'That girl is going to do something.' I thought, following them. 'I need to keep an eye on her. She probably doesn't want to kill, but she's so desperate that she'll do anything to escape!'

Naegi grabbed Sayaka's arm.

"No! Let go of me!"she wailed.

"We can all get out if we work together!" Naegi promised.

"Please calm down!" I pleaded. "There's no need to do anything drastic!"

"You're lying!" she shouted, struggling.

"And help might come before we find a way out!" Naegi continued, keeping his iron grip on Sayaka's wrist.

"No one is coming to save us!" Sayaka shrieked.

"I will get you out of here!" Naegi thundered. "I swear I'll do whatever it takes! I swear it!"

Sayaka stood still for a moment, tears pouring down her face. With a cry, she latched onto Naegi's shirt and started bawling.

"Pupupu, hahahaha, heeheehee, PUPUPUPU!"

The sounds of Monokuma's demented laughter mixed with Sayaka's sobs sent shivers of fear and anguish down my spine. 'She's stable, for now, but for how long? I don't want anyone to die...' I straightened and stared ahead grimly. I had no other choice, and I knew it. I'd never forgive myself if I could save someone and failed out of cowardice.

'I need to speak to that other me.'

**Dun dun dun! It would seem Ayano has a lot of rage she's keeping bottled up. And what's up with her strength? Will she and Togami have heart to heart? Finally, what is up with the dopplegangers?! I guess you'll just have to wait and find out! Pupupu!**

**Sorry about the wait, but hopefully this is an acceptable apology. I'm already working on the next part so hopefully I can update again this weekend. Please rate and tell me what you think! **


	4. Chapter 3: We Kill a Clone

**A.N. Guys….I'm SO sorry. This is just going to be an ongoing thing, it seems. Life happens, and I lose the wind in my sails and all time to write. I'll try to update more, but no promises.**

**THANK YOU AstridClaire! My first review! I'm very grateful for your advice, and you are right, I am rushing the OC thing a bit. I'll do my best to fix it. **

**Reviews=updates guys!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Ayano, who was designed on an app. If I did own**

**Dangan Ronpa, the second season would've come out already!**

**A.N. 2: Ok, I'm redoing all of this! More descriptions, "Super High School Level" to "Ultimate" and more about the characters! Oh, and I'm dropping the honorifics, because….life.**

After that, Sayaka swore that she was said that she just wanted to go back to her room and rest. I was still very suspicious of her, but there was nothing I could do now. I needed information, and the best way to do that was to go back down the tunnel. I really didn't want to, but what choice did I have? If I wanted to protect these people, I'd need to take some risks.

Feigning a headache, I wandered in the direction of my room. Behind me I heard footsteps trailing after me. Turning, I saw Byakuya.

"Byakuya? Are you alright? Or," I raised an eyebrow, "Are you planning on attacking me?"

"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed, stopping in the hall, his eyes narrowing at me in suspicion. "There's something I want to know. What is that necklace you continue to mess with and why are you so strong?"

"That's two things," I stalled, slightly intimidated by his icy stare.

"Look," he sighed, deflating slightly and leaning his back against the wall. "Everyone else here is either an idiot or out for their own gain. You seem to be the most intelligent of the lot, which is both good and bad. I can't trust you, but I need someone to talk to in this nightmare. I'm used to ordering people around, not being trapped."

I stared into his eyes, both touched and amused by his pompous attitude. "I think you're wrong about everyone here. I think that in another place, we all would've been great friends. However, you are correct about the situation and needing an ally." I paused, unsure how much to tell him. "I'll tell you what I know."

Touching my necklace, I took a deep breath. "I woke up with this around my neck. I don't know what it means or what it's for, but I'm keeping it until I do."

Byakuya nodded. "Fine, but what is it exactly? Have you seen anything that looks like it in the school? Let me see."

He stepped toward me and took the chain, leaning in close to look at the heart.

Against my will, I blushed at how close his face was to mine and managed to say. "W-Wouldn't it be easier if I took it off? You're a little close, pal."

He looked up, then, as if realizing that his face was only inches from mine, jerked away, his face red. "N-No matter," he said brusquely, regaining his composure. "It seems to be a simple charm, nothing more. As for your strength, I'm very curious to know how long you've had that much power. Not many people can crush a mouse in their hands," he commented dryly.

I blushed slightly, somewhat embarrassed. "My father taught me martial arts, and I have a bit of a temper. And yes, I'm aware that it's likely to place a target on me if anyone found out, but I think you're the only one who saw."

"No. Monokuma saw as well."

I cursed under my breath, hoping that the sadistic bear wouldn't use it against me. "So, now what?"

"I propose," Byakuya said, using a low tone and standing right in front of me, "that we form an alliance of sorts. An information store, if you will. We can think things through and try to find a way out of here."

Staring into his icy blue eyes, I felt a sense of sorrow. 'He's...so lonely.' I understood in that moment the enormity of what he was asking. Byakuya Togami was shaken, just as upset as I was. He craved control just as much as I did, and whatever had been on his disc must have been upsetting. He needed someone, anyone, in this place. He had chosen me, and I couldn't mistake what he was offering. Friendship.

"I think that's a good idea."

Relief and gratitude flashed in his eyes briefly, then Byakuya stepped back. "Well, then. You go do whatever secret investigating you were heading off to, and I'll look for a decent book to read." At my startled expression, he smirked. "You do realize that you mess with that necklace when you sneak off, right?"

He turned and walked off, smirking as he went, leaving me dumbstruck. 'I need to keep an eye on him. He's very perceptive…'

Shaking my head, I walked into my room, locking the door behind me. Turning, I let out shriek, finding Monokuma lounging languidly on my bed.

"Wh-what are you doing here?!" I spluttered.

"I was delivering presents to each of the rooms when I realized I forgot to write a note for this room." Monokuma bounced off my bed and stood proudly in front of me. "Luckily for you, I'm a kind and generous principal, so I came to to tell you personally!" He stared at me, waiting expectantly.

"Oh, erm, thank you very much for your consideration, Principal Monokuma." I said, awkwardly.

"Yer welcome, brat!" he declared pompously. "Anyway, you have a variety of weapons in here, from a sewing kit to a katana! Also, as a girl, your shower door is the only kind that locks, to keep out perverts!"

"O-Okay, thank you."

Monokuma marched importantly to the door, tapping his paw as I unlocked it and let him out. "Oh, and Ayano?"

"Yes?" I asked, a forced smile gracing my features.

"Feel free to kill any of your classmates with that wicked strength I saw back there! Although, you strike me as more of a knife girl. Pupupu!" With that, he vanished.

I sank to the ground, tiredness sweeping through my system. I'd always had a bit of a temper, and I could tell that this school was going to bring out the worst in me.

After resting a moment, I struggled to my feet. I walked to the bathroom, determined to get some answers from someone. After locking the door and turning on the shower, I put the charm in the hole, and started down the long tunnel.

This time, I carefully surveyed my surroundings. Everything was clearly man-made, and clean, no dirt or dust having built up. There was a black circle painted on the floor, with the same swirling pattern as the one on my necklace. After staring at it for a moment, I marched up to the tanning booth with the other me in it, and looked down at the figure inside.

I-or rather she, was sleeping, her gentle breaths fogging up the glass. I tapped the booth warily, not wanting her to attack me or anything.

The clone blinked and looked up at me. "YOU CAME BACK!" she shouted, leaping up. She hissed in pain as her head hit the glass, then gave me a thumbs up as she held her head. "I'm okay! Just excited!"

'Oh, Kami,' I thought, shaking my head at the girl who, although looked like me, had none of my personality.

"Ayano? Can you let me out? There should be a big flashing button." The clone pointed to the front of the machine, where a button was indeed flashing.

I hesitated, glancing at the beaming girl behind the glass. 'She seems harmless, but then again, so does Monokuma…'

"I promise, I'm not going to jump out and attack," the clone said, suddenly serious. "You have my word."

Nodding, I reached out with a slightly shaking hand and pushed the machine hissed, and steam came billowing out at the lid slowly opened. I backed away quickly, half-wishing that I'd taken Monokuma's katana with me.

Like in a horror movie, the clone slowly sat up, squinting at the bright light. Hesitantly, she stepped out of the machine, stumbling as she took her first few steps. Staggering over to me, she held out her hand.

"My name is Ayano, and I am your clone, dedicated to preserving your life as you continue to live in Hope's Peak Academy." she said solemnly. She then broke into a smile and put her hands up to her face, adopting a pose like Monokuma. "Nice to meet ya!'"

I stared, unnerved by the similarities in her and Monokuma's greeting. She frowned, then shook her head and smiled again.

"I'm sorry! You're in shock, right? I'll bet you have no idea what we are all doing in here, right?"

At her mention of "we," I grew uneasy. There were sixteen machines in here, one for each of my classmates. "Wh-What do you mean, 'dedicated to preserving my life?'" I finally asked.

Ayano nodded, a thoughtful look on her features. "I don't know very much, but I think It's best to start from the beginning. All I know is that we were programmed with the express purpose of protecting the Originals by the former principal, and that my Original would be equipped with the key to find us."

Nodding, I showed her the charm. She clapped her hands delightedly. "Yes, that's it! There are a couple of other places that can be opened by that charm, and they all lead here."

"What about a way out?" I demanded.

She shook her head. "No. The only doors that charm opens lead to here."

I took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed again. "Okay, how are you supposed to protect us?"

"By taking your place when you are about to die."

I froze, horrified. "What?!"

Ayano smiled sadly. "We can sense when our Original is about to kill or be killed. We can trade places with them a moment before anything bad happens. This way, no one gets hurt."

"Except you!" I protested.

Ayano shook her head. "We don't feel pain or fear. Besides, if our Original dies, we die anyway. They can live on without us, but we cannot. Even if nothing bad happens, we clones only live one year from the moment we are first activated."

I gaped at her, my mind reeling with the implications of her words. 'The former headmaster knew that this was going to happen, and wanted to protect us...Why? What is really going on here?!'

"I know this is a lot to take in, but we need your help!" Ayano insisted, grabbing my hand.

"Why? What can I do?" I asked cautiously.

"You have to watch the people around you, and be ready to release us. While we can sense what our Originals are doing, we can't act on it inside the machine."

"So just let everybody out."

"We can only live a day or two away from the machine, so we can't be released until it's time for us to trade."

I stared at her blankly. "That sucks."

She threw her head back and laughed. "You have no idea! So, will you help us?"

"What will the Originals do when they trade places with you?"

"They will be transported into the machine to wait until it's safe. They will be in a coma of sorts, relying on the machine to live until they wake up."

"And this is safe?"

"Completely," she assured me. "This way, no one will die!"

I bit my lip, unsure if I should agree. I had no reason to believe her, but my gut told me that she was telling the truth. I looked at her, gauging her. She stared back at me, her eyes shining with determination.

"I'll help you." I agreed.

"Thank you!" she cried, pulling me into a hug.

Suddenly, my charm grew hot, and two machines started flashing rapidly.

Ayano gasped, running to the third and fourth machines in the line. "It's Sayaka and Leon! They're in trouble! Let them out, quickly!"

'She's trying to kill him!' I thought, scrambling to push the buttons.

The two clones leaped out of their machines, nodding to me as they rushed to the black circle. The two vanished with a glowing light, blinding me.

A second later, the two vacant machines glowed with the same light, and Leon and Sayaka reappeared, in a deep sleep. Lights blinking, the machines closed, sealing in their occupants. I screen appeared on the glass, and I saw a heart monitor and other signs of life from the two students.

"So, that's it?" I asked shakily.

Ayano nodded. "Yup. One of them tried to kill the other, so they have both been put to sleep. The other clone will assume the perfect personality of their would-be killer Original. After you prove who it was in the Class Trial, they will be killed, leaving no one the wiser."

"Hold up, the what?!"

Ayano looked up at me, surprised. "Monokuma still hasn't explained? Well, I'll leave that bit to him." She climbed back into her machine, yawning. "Just be sure to prove that the clone still alive is the one who did it, no matter what. The clone will die in forty-eight hours, so it must be before then." With that, her machine closed and she fell asleep.

Staring numbly, I watched Sayaka and Leon sleep, their vitals holding steady. "What have I gotten into?" I whispered.

* * *

**Classmate Total: 15 :) 1 *_***

"Good mornin', punks!" The bear's voice boomed, coupled with tolling bells (A.N. Have you guys heard these things?! It's literally the FNAF noise!). "It's morning! It's now seven o'clock. It's time to rise and shine! Now then, let's seize yet another day!"

I stretched slowly, the events of yesterday flooding back to me all at once. I had agreed to take part in a plan that, crazy enough, could save all of us, including Sayaka, who by now, I knew had murdered Leon. Or at least, her clone killed his clone. It was up to me to see that the "Class Trial," whatever that was, went perfectly.

Everyone agreed to eat breakfast together, otherwise we'd be nervous wrecks, trying to figure out if anyone had died. I went to the cafeteria, to find Sakura, Asahina, Ishimaru, Naegi, and Chihiro waiting for me.

"Good morning Ayano!" Asahina greeted me, causing everyone to follow suit.

"Good morning everyone," I replied, sitting next to Chihiro.

Pulling out my notebook, I decided to list when people arrived. It gave some idea to their personality.

The first group to gather up could be classified as the, "rule-abiding high schoolers." That group was everyone present.

"Hiya!" Ohwada announced, swaggering in.

Then there are those with a somewhat loose sense of time.

'Styling his hair is probably what took him so long,' I thought.

After him, Yamada and Junko strolled in.

"Sorry, my makeup took forever!" she laughed.

'I think most high schoolers fall under the looser category,' I thought, marking down names. 'We'll call them average high schoolers."

"Junko Enoshima?" Sakura queried.

"Yeah?"

"Pardon me, but you seem somewhat different from in the magazines."

I couldn't help but agree. There was something definitely different about her…

Junko laughed, and gave everyone a cheeky wink. "That's 'cause I get fixed up for the mags! Ever heard of photo editing software?"

"My word!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Seriously?" I gaped.

"Don't look so stinking surprised!" she laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "It kind of hurts my feelings!"

Even so, there seemed to be something else, something different about the Junko Enoshima in the magazines and the one here, and I wasn't sure it was her face.

"Good morning," Kyoko said, walking into the cafeteria.

'Finally, the last group strolls in, after making everyone wait forever,' I wrote.

"Everyone's up early!" a voice yawned.

I froze, feeling my blood turn to ice in my veins. Walking in was...LEON?! 'Th-That means that Sayaka's clone was the one to get murdered. But, how?!' Then it hit me. 'Sayaka must've tried to kill him, but Leon killed her first! That was when they traded places, and Leon's clone killed Sayaka's!'

"Good morning," Celestia announced, making me realize I had been staring off into space.

"G-Good morning," Fukawa-chan whispered, sidling into the cafeteria. "Wh-what is it? Who cares if I'm late?" She slid over to a different table.

"No one," I muttered, giving her a half-hearted glare and going back to writing. 'This last group doesn't care about others, let alone time. They march to the beat of their own drum."

"I didn't sleep in!" Hagakure protested, taking the last seat at our table. "I just got freakishly lost! I swear, I must've got caught in the Bermuda Triangle!"

Next to me, at the head of the table, Ishimaru stood. "This still isn't everyone," he announced.

"We're waiting on Sayaka and Togami, right?" Asahina-chan asked.

"Huh," I said aloud flipping through my notes. "She profiles as a 'rule-abiding high schooler.' It seems out of character for her to be late."

At that moment, Byakuya sauntered in, nodding at me and then avoiding eye contact with anyone else. He headed for a round table where Fukawa was standing.

"Hey, have you seen Maizono?" Ohwada asked.

"How would I know where she is?" he asked pompously, sitting with his back to us. "I came here straight from my room."

"How unusual for Miss Sayaka Maizono to run late!" Yamada exclaimed, repeating what I said a whole two seconds ago.

"Do you think she's feeling ill?" Asahina said.

Naegi gasped, a shocked look on his face. I glanced at him in surprise. 'Does he know?'

"What's wrong Naegs?" Ohwada asked, using a new nickname.

"I-I'm gonna go check on her right quick!" he yelled, racing from the room.

"Naegi!" I shouted, springing from the table in my panic. I ran after him, and found him banging on her door.

'Wait,' I stopped, staring at the rooms. 'I thought this one was Naegi's? I must be mistaken...Come on girl! There's no time for this!'

"Sayaka!" Naegi yelled, pulling on the door handle. He gasped as it opened, creaking ominously. "The door! It's unlocked!" he whispered before running into the room.

I walked in behind him and gasped. The bed was ripped apart, the table was lying on it's side, the katana was on the ground, and there were scratches all over the floors and walls.

"What...the heck...happened?" Naegi asked weakly.

"Naegi," I whispered, not wanting him to see.

He turned to the bathroom, where the handle was unscrewed and hanging loosely. He stumbled to the door and wrenched it open."

"Naegi, no!" I shouted, pulling him away.

But it was too late. Sayaka's clone was lying against the bathroom wall, her blood splattered all over the wall and floor, a knife buried in her chest. I covered Naegi's eyes, clinging to him as he let out an earsplitting wail of grief.

'I'm sorry Naegi! I'm so sorry!' I thought, holding him close as he fell, unconscious, to the floor. 'I can't tell him about the clones, I know I can't!'

Looking up, I saw the word Sayaka had written.

'Leon.'

* * *

**Classmate Total: 15 :) 1 *_***

"What happened?" Byakuya demanded. We stood in the gym, after Monokuma had summoned us over the speakers, and Byakuya had quickly signaled me to come over.

"Naegi walked in, saw the body, and passed out," I explained tiredly. I was wishing I'd just stayed in bed this morning. Clearly, I'd have to tell my clone to find someone else to help, because I couldn't handle the weight of not telling Naegi that Sayaka was alive. I'd never seen that level of grief before, on anyone, and I didn't want to see it again.

"We heard a scream," Byakuya inquired, his scowl darkening.

"Yeah," I snapped. "You did. It's probably because there was a dead body on the floor, and it was the girl Naegi liked. So, yes he screamed. He was upset! You know? When you actually care about another person?"

"Whatever the cause," Byakuya snapped, "It makes him seem suspicious, and you by default."

"You think I killed Sayaka?" I hissed. "Fine. Think it all you want. It doesn't make it true."

He sneered at me. "No, I don't think that. It's just nice to see you flustered for once. Naegi, on the other hand…"

I turned away angrily and stomped over to where, to my relief, Naegi was coming to.

"Hagakure carried you here," Chihiro was explaining to Naegi.

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry Naegi. I know you admired Sayaka. I wish we could've helped her."

"That wasn't...a dream?" Naegi whispered, his head hanging low with grief. He jerked up and looked at me with pleading eyes. "How's Sayaka?!"

I stared at him stupidly, and couldn't think of anything to say. I opened my mouth and said gently, "Naegi…"

"Sayaka Maizono is dead," Byakuya interrupted, his blunt words like blows to Naegi.

Naegi shot forward, pushing past me as I glared at Byakuya.

Ishimaru grabbed his arm as he ran past. "Where are you going?"

"Isn't it obvious?!" Naegi shouted, his eyes shadowed. "Sayaka...To see Sayaka!"

"Wait," Ishimaru pleaded. "Calm down Nae-"

"No!" he shouted, breaking Ishimaru's grip. "I'm going to-"

"I thoroughly checked her body!" Byakuya raised his voice, his eyes closed as he delivered his pronouncement. "Sayaka Maizono is undeniably dead."

"Then what are we doing here?" Naegi asked, his body trembling. He turned to shout at Byakuya. "What the hell are we doing in the gym at a time like this?!"

"It is not as though we want to be here," Kyoko answered cooly, her pose mirroring that of Byakuya.

"Then why?!" Naegi cried.

"Is-Isn't that a given?" Fukawa asked, biting her nail. "Blame Monokuma! H-He told us to meet in the gym."

"Of course we tried to object!" Ishimaru interjected, holding up a fist in sorrow. "I said, 'How could you say such a thing when someone is dead?' but…"

"Everyone complied with my suggestion," Kyoko finished. "I recommended that we do as Monokuma says for now. Ayano agreed with me, and everyone followed her lead."

Naegi looked back and forth from her to me. "Kyoko, Ayano…"

"We are his captives!" Kyoko spoke in a strong, clear voice. "We must not blindly face our foe. At least, not if we wish to avoid further casualties."

"Kyoko is right Naegi. This is Monokuma's game, and for the time being, we must follow his rules," I spoke gently, trying to calm Naegi down in case he decided to run again. "He already tried to blow up Ohwada for breaking the rules, and we don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"He...He killed Miss Sayaka!" Naegi protested. "Monokuma killed her!"

"Nope!" I cheery voice replied. "I'd never do somethin' like that."

We whirled to face the podium, where Monokuma was standing, his white paw raised in the air to declare his innocence. "Please believe me when I say that!"

"Monokuma," Naegi growled, making the name sound profane.

Said bear leaned forward, both hands on his hips. "You see, I would never do something that defeats the point of this whole school!" He put his paws to his mouth as he laughed, a blush on his face. "Even in safari parks, I was famous for being the biggest nitpicking bear you ever saw when it came to rules!"

"Then who else could have…" Chihiro trailed off, grabbing my hand as she shook with fear.

"As if you didn't know!" Monokuma mocked, throwing his paws up for dramatic effect as he shouted "Whoever murdered Sayaka Maizono is standing amongst you!"

Several of my classmates gasped, and started looking at each other, trying to puzzle it out. I refused to look at Leon and stared straight ahead at Monokuma. A quick glance to my left showed that Byakuya was doing the same.

"Huh? What's the big deal?," asked Monokuma, tilting his head in confusion. "You look like yer hearts have been hit by a Gatling gun! One of you simply murdered Maizono so he or she could graduate." He shrugged."That's the rule. He didn't do anything wrong."

"He?" I asked, catching the wording of the last sentence.

"Or she," Monokuma responded. "It could've been either."

"But you said , 'he,'" Byakuya countered. "The murderer was one of the boys."

"How horrible!" Chihiro cried. I hugged her arm comfortingly.

"That's not true!" Asahina said.

"Of course he's lying!" Naegi shouted.

"No, one of you definitely killed her." Monokuma thundered.

"Naegi, Monokuma had any number of chances to kill us," I reminded him. "He made us watch those tapes because he wanted us to kill each other. Someone was so affected by their disc that they acted on it. Why would Monokuma go to all that trouble just to pick us off? Besides, Monokuma profiles as very flashy, so he wouldn't have used something as trivial as a knife."

"Well said, Valedictorian!" Monokuma exclaimed. "Everyone watch her! If she kills someone, you'll never know!"

"So you're implying that Ayano didn't kill Maizono?" Kyoko asked.

"You brats need to stop taking everything so literally!" Monokuma chided, waving a paw at us. "Anyone of you could've done it. The killer in question knows that all too well."

"Is he telling the truth?" Chihiro asked.

"Come clean!" Ishimaru pointed at all of us. "Who killed Sayaka Maizono?"

"If-If one of us is the culprit, he'll never confess!" Fukawa scoffed.

"Honestly, I don't care who did it," Celestia announced, a bored look on her face.

"It-It-It wasn't me!" Yamada panicked, shaking his head and waving his arms rapidly. He and Ishimaru looked at the Leon clone.

"What?! You lookin' at me?!" He shouted, waving a fist angrily.

"Quiet down!" Byakuya ordered. He looked at Monokuma. "Hey, assuming that the murder is amongst us, isn't he able to 'graduate' now?"

"PUPUPUPU!" Monokuma laughed, his cheeks red as he clutched his stomach. "You're way too optimistic!" He pointed his black paw at Byakuya. "Devilishly optimistic! Hellishly optimistic!" He shrugged. "Honestly, we're just entering the main act!"

"The main act?" Naegi questioned.

"Now then," Monokuma raised his paws into the air. "allow me to explain the supplemental rules regarding 'graduation.'"

"The killer must not let the other students find out that he is guilty," Celestia interrupted, holding her copy of the Digital Notebook. "It says, 'Whoever kills a classmate can "graduate," but he or she must not be discovered by the other students.' Is that what you are referring to?"

"Yep!" Monokuma confirmed. "Simply committing murder doesn't cut it! I hold you punks to a higher standard than that! You can't let the other students find out about yer dirty deed!"

"In other words," Celestia summarized, "we must pull off the perfect crime."

"In order to assess the murder, we will hold a 'Class Trial," Monokuma continued, throwing his paws in the air, "within a set period of time after each and every homicide!"

"A class trial," I repeated, remembering Ayano's warning.

"During the class trial, you will debate over who is guilty," Monokuma explained. "If the answer you reach is correct, I will only punish the culprit, who has disturbed the peace. But if you're wrong, everyone who was innocent will be punished instead! Those are the rules for our Class Trials!"

"Uh, What exactly are these, 'punishments?'" Yamada asked, raising his hand timidly.

"Simply put," Monokuma answered, holding out his black paw, "I guess you could call them executions."

"What do you mean by 'executions?'" Chihiro asked, her body shaking.

"'Executions' are 'executions!'" Monokuma exclaimed, acting out each way to die.. "Ex-e-cu-tions! Get shocked on an electric chair! Choke on clouds of poisonous gas! Or your body could get torn apart by one of those hurricane thingies!"

Everyone gasped, and Ishimaru took a step back. "If-If we guess wrong, the rest of us will executed instead?!"

"Nice! You're a smart chimpanzee, aren't ya?" Monokuma rubbed his chin, then gave Ishimaru a thumbs up. "Good job casually implying that you aren't the murderer!" He continued as Ishimaru jerked back. "In short, you guys are the judge and the jury!" He pointed at all of us. "It's yer job to decide who the killer is!"

"Wait!" Junko interrupted angrily. "You're spewing some crazy crap!"

"Huh?" Monokuma tilted his head in curiosity.

"You can keep your 'Class Trial!'" She yelled. "There's no way I'm gonna participate!"

"Why not?" Monokuma asked, looking genuinely confused.

"'Why not?'" Junko repeated mockingly. "Need you ask? Why the hell do any of us have to play detective?"

"You're being unreasonable!" Monokuma yelled, a tic mark appearing on his head.

"You're the one bein' unreasonable!" Junko accused, pointing at the bear. "Keep me out of this killing game! It doesn't have anything to do with me!"

Monokuma closed his eyes, his body red and shaking with fear as sweat rolled down. "I'm honestly trembling before the power of the overwhelming evil I see before me! B-But I won't succumb to evil!" He suddenly turned vicious and brandished his sharp claws. "It's the Monokuma way to fight to the very end!"

He jumped off the podium, onto the floor of the gym. "If you want to get through me, you've gotta defeat me first!"

Remembering the school rules, and what almost happened to Ohwada, I let go of Chihiro and pushed my way through my classmates. A cold shiver of fear swept through my body, and I screamed in terror, "Junko, NO!"

Monokuma charged forward, and Junko stomped on him, shoving his face to the ground.

"There! Are ya happy?"

"How 'bout you?" Monokuma asked.

"Huh?"

My necklace grew hot, and I could almost see the Junko clone fighting to free herself. "NO! Remember the bomb! Please, Monokuma, don't do it!" I rushed forward and grabbed her arm, trying to pull her off Monokuma, but she shrugged me off.

"What the hell are ya doin'?!"

"Saving you," Monokuma answered. "Harming yer principal is strictly forbidden. I've warned you about violating the school rules, haven't I? Sorry Ayano, rules are rules." An alarm sounded from within Monokuma, who began waving his arms. "Activate summoning magic! Save me, Gungnir Spears!"

"Junko!" I reached for her one more time, and her frightened face turned toward me as she reached out her hand. Gritting my teeth, the sound of Ayano screaming in my ears as my necklace grew hot, I leapt forward, to slam into Junko and knock her to the ground.

My fingers brushed hers, and I prepared to get hit by at least one spear. However, something slammed into me, making me hit the floor right as a sickening squish hit my ears. A warm, wet wave flew over me, and I looked up.

"Huh?" Junko choked out, her body impaled by several black poles. "Isn't something off? Why... am I…?" The spears retracted, and she fell to the floor in a bloody heap, inched from my face, her face frozen in fear and terror. Gone was the Ultimate Fashionista, the bad attitude, everything that made Junko, Junko. All that remained was her body, cold and devoid of life.

"Blood," Fukawa muttered, before fainting.

I sat up shakily, wiping Junko's blood off my face before turning to see who saved me. To my utter surprise, both Byakuya and Ohwada were clutching their heads, having apparently slammed together when they both dived into me.

"Are ya alright, Ayano?" Ohwada asked, giving me a grin as the red spot on his forehead faded.

"She's fine," Byakuya muttered, dusting himself off. He extended a hand to me, and I gladly accepted.

"Thank you," I whispered, shaken. "But Junko is…"

"How horrible!" Chihiro exclaimed, racing over to me.

"No way!" Leon-Clone exclaimed, giving me a shocked look.

"I had wanted to avoid as many unnecessary deaths as possible," Monokuma commented as he dusted himself off and climbed back onto the stage. "I guess an example really was necessary. But now it's starting to sink in, isn't it? I'm playing for keeps!"

"I thought you were a nitpicky bear who followed rules!" Ishimaru protested.

"Junko broke the school rules," I muttered, leaning against Chihiro and Ohwada. "That meant she was no longer a student and was expelled. The principal has the right to expel anyone anyway he wants to." I looked at the grinning bear. "Wasn't that what you told me?"

"Excellent memory, Valedictorian!" Monokuma applauded, giving me a small bow. "If only Junko paid as much attention as you did. Such a pity. Well," he said brightening. "At least you didn't get hurt! I'd hate to hurt one of my students for no reason. Luckily, the boys here seem to be willing to lay down life and limb for you, so that's something."

Byakuya and Ohwada both spluttered, their faces red. Byakuya scowled at the floor, while Ohwada raised his fist. "I was repaying a debt!"

"Whatever," Monokuma waved the matter away. "The point is, we have a Class Trial coming up, so good luck with yer investigation!" He raised both paws. "So, I'll see ya at the Class Trial before too long!" He bounced and vanished into the podium.

"She was...an example!? That's why he…!" Naegi choked out.

"At the very least," Byakuya concluded, straightening his tie. "This proves that Junko Enoshima was not the culprit."

"Now then, let us move straight into the investigation," Celestia ordered, hanging her head solemnly. "There is no point in mourning over the dead forever."

"What a thing to say!" Naegi scolded.

"I believe I warned her," Celestia reminded him. "No matter what the situation, those who do not adapt are the first to die. Ayano screamed 'no' and ran at her for goodness sake." Celestia linked her fingers under her chin and smiled. "She got what she deserved."

As everyone argued, I stared at the charm on my necklace. 'Junko is dead...and I didn't protect her. I didn't see it coming.' Junko's frightened face would be forever etched in my mind, and I never wanted to see anyone else look at me like that...ever.

I stared at each one of my classmates, any anger or revulsion forgotten at the moment.

'I will protect them. Every single one of them.'

'Even Fukawa.'

**Classmate Total: 14 :) 2 *_***

A.N. Well guys, I finally updated! Thank you all for your patience! I'm so grateful that every one of you gave this story a chance. Next time will be the Class Trial! Please review!


	5. Chapter 4: Trials and Tribulations

**_A.N. Thank you guys for all the support! Without further ado, the Classroom Trial. By the way, I'm sorry for any confusion regarding Ayano's name. For some reason, the spell check turned it into Asano a few times. Weird, huh? Her name is Ayano Tsukino, and that's final, spell check! *Waves fist angrily*_**

**_Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Ayano, blah blah blah app. Blah blah blah. You guys know _**

**_this already! This includes any and all references to Ace Attorney and Criminal Minds._**

**_P.S. I steal all of Kyoko's and Naegi's thunder at the Class Trial. I am not _**

**_ashamed of this. _**

**Ok, I'm redoing all of this! More descriptions, "Super High School Level" to "Ultimate" and more about the characters! Oh, and I'm dropping the honorifics, because….life.**

**Classmate Total: 14 :) 2 *_***

"For now, we must prioritize finding the culprit," Kyoko interrupted, ending the argument in the room and inside my head. "Otherwise, it will simply lead to everyone's execution."

'I have to make sure that everyone knows that it was Leon…' I bit my thumb nail, frowning in concentration. Sayaka-Clone's dying message should do it…'

"Hold on," I heard myself saying. "We need to take some precautions surrounding the scene of the crime."

"I agree," Kyoko nodded.

"You're thinking of putting someone on guard duty so nobody can disturb the area, aren't you?" Byakuya asked, frowning as he thought of all the implications of not having a guard. "After all, if someone decides to destroy the evidence, we're pretty much screwed."

I nodded, and Ohwada put his hand on my shoulder, nodding solemnly. "In that case, I don't mind doing it. I'm not smart like Ayano or Kirigiri, so I can't investigate, but I can sure as hell protect the crime scene."

"Ohwada, that's-" I opened my mouth to respond but was interrupted.

"Well, no...we can't leave him there alone." Byakuya reprimanded.

"What?! Why the hell not?" Ohwada demanded angrily.

"Isn't it obvious?" Byakuya said snidely. "If you were the culprit, what's the first thing you would do? By volunteering for guard duty, you're in a position to destroy all the evidence you want.

"Wh-?! Damn you!" Ohwada shouted, his face red with anger.

"Fine, then I'll stay there on guard duty as well," Sakura interrupted. "That way there's no problem."

"2-player co-op base defense with the two of them…" Yamada mused. "With their stats, they're totally OP!"

"I'll take that as a 'yes,'" I said, nodding. "In that case, we need to investigate. Does anyone have any ideas where we should start?"

"Whoa! What the-?!" Hagakure exclaimed, looking at his Digital Notebook from where he was sitting on the floor. "We've got some new pages!"

I scrambled to grab my Digital Notebook as Ohwada responded angrily. "So?! This ain't the time for that!"

"The Monokuma Files," Ishimaru read out shakily. "Dang! It gives a detailed report on Sayaka Maizono's cause of death!"

"It's a complete autopsy report," I confirmed, reading the information quickly. 'Time of Death: Roughly 1:30 a.m. Found in Makoto Naegi's private room in the shower room. On top of a stab wound to the gut, it looks like her right wrist is broken.'

"Please read over it," Celestia commanded. "Sayaka Maizono was found dead in...Makoto Naegi's private room."

Several people gasped, and Chihiro clung to me tighter, her eyes wide in fear. I shook my head and opened my mouth, but Ohwada beat me to it.

"Hey, Naegi! Were you behind this?!"

"Wait a sec!" Naegi protested. "You've got it wrong!"

"How are we mistaken?" asked Byakuya rudely.

"I swapped rooms with Miss Maizono, just for the night! She was acting scared."

I felt my mouth open in surprise, and stared at Naegi incredulously. 'After her tantrum, he did that for her?! That was the dumbest thing I've ever heard of! Of course she would pin the blame on Naegi!'

"Ya swapped rooms?!" Ohwada repeated disbelievingly.

"Sounds fishy," Leon-Clone muttered.

I snapped my gaze to the clone, then back to Naegi. 'This will be difficult, no question about that. However, if everyone thinks it's Naegi, that gives me an advantage at the Classroom Trial. Please bear with the suspicion, Naegi!'

"Guys, do you think it's me?" Naegi protested, his pleading gaze locking onto me.

"That's right." Byakuya confirmed. "Isn't it only natural to suspect you? If it wasn't, you will have to prove your innocence."

"You can't mean that…" Naegi whispered.

"Come along. Let us start the game." Byakuya dismissed everyone with a wave of his hand.

"Togami!" Naegi protested.

"I wish you the best," Kyoko said, following Byakuya and Celestia out of the gym.

Beside me, Ohwada gave my shoulder a small pat. "Ya doin' okay, Ayano?"

Startled by his touch and informality, I turned and smiled. "Thanks to you and Byakuya, I am."

"You saved me earlier," he said solemnly, laying his coat over Junko's body. "I would've been just like her if you hadn't acted so quickly. I owed you, and I always repay my debts. Always. Besides, it was very brave of you to jump out like that!"

"Thank you," I whispered, impressed by how mature Ohwada seemed.

"And I promise you this, if whatever S.O.B. who did this is here right now, and they're thinking of destroying evidence at the crime scene...They'd better not let me find em'! I'll skip the trial and cave their goddamn skull in myself!"

With that promise, Ohwada turned and strode out of the gym, heading toward Naegi's old room.

"We should begin our own investigation," Ishimaru said sadly. Everyone followed him, leaving only Naegi, Chihiro, and I.

"Ishimaru!" Naegi yelled in frustration, hurt etched onto his face.

"It's okay, Naegi." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know it wasn't you."

Hope shined in his features, and Chihiro looked at me questioningly.

"How do you know it wasn't him?"

"I can't say now," I explained, "but I have proof that it wasn't Naegi. Here's a hint. Go back to the scene of the crime."

"Thank you, Ayano!" Naegi exclaimed, racing out of the gym to find the clue.

I sighed, then turned to Chihiro. "I know it seems certain, but I promise that it wasn't Naegi."

"I trust you," she said, smiling innocently at me.

I smiled back, touched, then stretched. "First things first, I need a shower."

* * *

**Classmate Total: 14 :) 2 *_***

COMMENCE INVESTIGATION

I returned to my shower room, breathing heavily, suddenly overwhelmed with my predicament. I had to see my clone, and get some answers. I turned on the shower, using that pretense to once again travel down the tunnel to meet my clone.

The long path seemed even longer as I rushed to get to my clone, all the bravado I had gone. I slowed as I neared the opening to the room, my mind racing and my limbs shaking. 'I don't know if I can do this,' I thought, panicked at having to face a bunch of angry clones. 'I was supposed to save Junko, and instead, I failed. What do they think of me?!'

Wiping my eyes, and the tears that threatened to overflow, I took a deep breath and stood. 'I need to be strong.' I walked into the room, heading straight for the capsule that held my clone. I was not brave enough to look for Junko's, to see the body of her clone.

Ayano was awake when I looked in, and she waved tiredly, her eyes puffy from crying. I pushed the button and stood back as she stepped out, smiling gently at my still bloodied form.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, allowing tears to trail down my face now that no one but the clones were there to see. "I failed, and it's my fault that Junko is dead."

Ayano shook her head at me and grabbed my arms tightly. "No, it's not your fault! We know that you tried to save her, and almost got yourself killed! I was SO scared, because I couldn't get out! Byakuya, Chihiro, Naegi, Ohwada, and several others also tried to get out, because we know how important you are!"

"Why me?!" I shouted, overwhelmed. "Why was I chosen? What makes me so special?!"

Ayano stared at my shaking form, then pulled me close. "You're special because you chose to be."

"What?" I asked, pulling away and wiping my face. "I don't understand!"

"I can't really explain right now, but there is a lot that you don't know about Hope's Peak. Just trust in your abilities and you'll be fine. Junko is gone, yes, but there are twelve other people who need you to save them from themselves and each other."

I nodded, still upset, but understanding. "I understand. Story Mode: Action."

Ayano smiled. "The heroine must become a lawyer in the Class Trial, defending the innocent and persecuting the guilty!"

"I accept!" I agreed, turning to leave, still upset, but more focused.

"Oh, and Ayano?"

I turned back to my clone. "What is it?"

"Take the podium directly across from Monokuma in the courtroom. The wall behind it has another passageway leading here. Just in case."

"Got it," I answered, racing to get back to my room before too much time had passed. I needed to get ready for the investigation.

* * *

**Classmate Total: 14 :) 2 *_***

After a quick shower and change of clothes, I set out on my investigation. I started walking toward Naegi's room, trying to piece together what could have possibly happened.

'I know that Leon was trying to kill Sayaka when the clones traded them out, but why? Was it self-defense against Sayaka, who I'm sure was planning to kill, or was it something I didn't see? What did I miss….? HOW DO THE DETECTIVES IN MY NOVELS DO IT?! Well, usually they have...'

I stopped short, hit in the face with my own brilliance.

"Principal Monokuma!" I called, looking around the corner.

"You called, Miss Ayano?" With a bounce, Monokuma popped into existence behind me. "What's up? I'm not telling you who the murderer was."

"Of course you'd know," I accused, pointing a finger at him. "Your cameras caught the whole thing, didn't they?"

"Yep!" Monokuma stood up proudly. "That is how I was able to so accurately compile the Monokuma File for you! You're welcome!"

"Thanks," I muttered, then sighed. "Anyway, I was wondering if there was a certain item I could buy from you, as I didn't see one at the school store."

"And what would that be?"

"A camera. Not a video camera, but a normal digital camera," I explained. "I need it to take pictures of the crime scene and of important clues."

Monokuma stared at me for a good long minute, then burst out laughing. "Pupupu! I take it you're enjoying yourself! Sure, I'll get you a camera, no problem! After all, anything to further my amusement is fine by me!"

He walked around the corner and came back a moment later with the camera. "You can print out the pictures in the Multimedia Room," he said, walking off.

Newly armed, I ran to Naegi's room, and took a deep breath before entering, steadying myself for the scene ahead.

It was much worse than I'd remembered. Deep gouges and scratches covered the wall, bed, and floor, showing the desperate struggle that had taken place. The katana was unsheathed, the room key lay on the ground next to the overturned table, and the bathroom remained ominously shadowed, the door hanging off its hinges.

"Oh, Sayaka," I whispered, taking pictures of everything. I rummaged through the drawer and found that Naegi's toolkit was unopened. I snapped a quick picture, then turned to Ohwada, who was by the bathroom door, looking straight ahead and not looking around.

"It's ridiculous how Monokuma outfitted the rooms with weapons," I sighed. "Girls got a sewing kit and diagram of the body, while boys got a tool kit."

Ohwada nodded. "Yeah, seriously! We aren't exactly in the mood to be building frickin' furniture, right?"

"So...you haven't used yours either?" I said, glancing at the bathroom door. I grabbed my notebook and scribbled down Ohwada's testimony as he spoke.

"Not just me," he confirmed. "Nobody's busted theirs out yet, as far as I know. Actually, we were talkin' about it yesterday. None of the guys have opened their toolkits yet. Cuz, like, why the hell would we?"

"True," I said, scribbling quickly. Then, I looked over to the room key lying on the floor. 'The way Naegi tells it, Sayaka promised not to leave or open her door for anyone. If so, she must have let Leon in because she invited him. Then, she attacked, and with the soundproof walls, nobody heard the struggle.' I took pictures of the key on the ground and of the katana, which had clearly been used to defend with. A good deal of the gold paint was gone, making me wonder if the culprit could be caught, "gold-handed." I also noticed that the sheath of the katana was all scratched up...with the knife used to murder Sayaka, maybe?

"Umm, hey," Ohwada said, crouching down next to me. "I realized something while I was standing there, but I don't know if it will help you."

"What did you find out?" I said, instantly on alert.

"The killer could've already destroyed some evidence, right? Before anyone found the body, I mean. There's a trash room in the dorms, right? They coulda tossed some stuff in there…"

"Definitely!" I said, nodding. "I didn't even think of that!"

"That dirty bastard!" he growled, glaring at the gouge marks on the ground. "Anyone who raises their hand to a woman is scum that deserves death. That's what my brother taught me. So if, I ever find the S.O.B. that did this, I'm gonna pound his goddamn face in."

I stood, taking one last look around to make sure I took pictures of everything before answering. "Well, your brother sounds like a very gallant person." I smiled. "Thank you for the idea about the trash room."

Ohwada nodded, resuming his post in front of the bathroom door.

Sakura and Kyoko were quietly talking in the opposite corner, so I walked over to see if they found anything.

"Very clever to use a camera," she observed, nodding at the machine in my hand.

"Thanks," I nodded. "So, did you find anything?"

"Yes, and no," Kyoko answered, a satisfied smile on her face. "I found one important clue, but didn't find another."

"What do you mean?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Don't you think this is a bit too neat to be a boy's room?" Sakura asked.

At first, I stared at her, stupefied. If this room was neat, I was a magical fairy with bear-vanquishing powers. Then, I realized what she meant. "There's no dust or hair from anyone who's slept here. Is Naegi a clean-freak?"

"No," Kyoko answered. "I already asked. His lint-roller has been used without his knowledge."

"Huh," I answered, writing it down. "And the other clue?"

Kyoko handed me a sheet of paper, with a rubbing on it. "I took this from Naegi's notepad."

I read the note, and stared in surprise. 'Well, I guess that means Sayaka was planning to kill.' I took a picture of it and gave it back to Kyoko. "You realize that this changes everything?"

She nodded. "Yes, this, and the number that Sayaka wrote on the wall in her last moments."

"What number?" I asked.

"11037" Kyoko answered. "Go see for yourself, although the position of her body and the way she would've written makes me think that numbers weren't her goal. I will start looking around the halls for clues."

And with that, she left.

'She's a strange one,' I thought, steeling myself for what I was about to do. Gingerly, I stepped into the bathroom, and entered the true crime scene.

Sayaka's body lay in the shower, a knife sticking out of her chest, blood everywhere. It was a dark red, nearly black as it dried, and brown in other places. She was lying against the back right corner of the shower, looking like a broken doll.

'Huh,' I thought, leaning closer, trying not to freak out. Even though it was a clone, and not the real Sayaka Maizono, it brought tears to my eyes and panic to my chest to see someone lying dead. Shaking my head, I forced my feelings down and looked at the crime scene from a detective's perspective. Embedded in her chest was-'That looks like one of the knives from the kitchen.' I took a few pictures of her body and the knife, then leaned in to look at her right wrist. 'The Monokuma File said it was broken…'

Indeed, her wrist was swollen and bloody, as if she had fought her attacker. Also, there were signs of gold glitter, the same glitter from the katana. And, there was a smear of blood on her index finger that looked out of place. Why was the tip of her index finger bloody, but not her whole hand? Also, I realized that the word "Leon" that I had seen was upside down and to everyone who didn't know, looked like 11037. I took a few more pictures and then left the bathroom.

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked me as I walked out.

I sighed. "Not even a little bit, but she's dead and the only thing I can do is investigate, so I will."

She nodded. "I understand. We must all play our part in solving this mystery. And, in doing my part, I should tell you what Naegi told Kyoko about the door to the bathroom."

Quickly, she filled me in on how Naegi's door didn't fit and how a screwdriver or some such tool was used to break the doorknob.

"Interesting," I murmured, taking a picture of the doorknob. "A screwdriver, huh?".

"I thought so too. Also, the only other person who knew besides Naegi was Sayaka."

"That's it!" I said, hope welling up in me. "That's the definitive proof that Naegi wasn't the killer. I just need to check one last thing and I'll have a solid defense!"

Sakura looked surprised as I ran out of the room and into the hall, spinning to see the nameplates on the rooms, identifying who stayed in which room. I smiled, seeing that I was correct, then took pictures of the signs on both Naegi's and Sayaka's rooms.

'Ok, the next stop is the trash room,' I thought, hurrying down the hall. I raced through the green door in time to...almost slam my face into the gate.

'What the heck is this huge gate doing here?' I thought. 'Does this mean that nobody can get through?'

"No, no, no!" Monokuma yelled, popping up out of nowhere, waving his little arms angrily. "No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"

"And who might that be?" I asked irritably.

"No, no, no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!" he responded.

"Are you stuck on auto-pilot or something?" I grumbled. 'It would be much easier to ask the others. Actually, I think I heard Yamada say something about the trash room.'

"No, no, no! No entry beyond this point! Only the person on cleaning duty is allowed in!"

"Got it, thanks," I said, turning to leave. "I'll find the person on cleaning duty, then."

Walking back toward the rooms, I saw Naegi walking toward Yamada. I sped up and jogged over to them as Naegi started talking.

"Um, I'm looking for the person on cleaning duty?" he asked hesitantly.

Yamada looked surprised. "Cleaning duty? As a matter of fact, that's me. Why do you ask?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but he continued without giving me the chance, puffing himself up importantly.

"It just so happens that Monokuma talked to me yesterday and asked me to take care of it. Without someone on cleaning duty," he ranted, pacing back and forth down the hall, "the school would be flooded with trash in no time. So I formally applied for the position! I was going to start this morning, but after what happened, I haven't had a chance to get started."

"And since you're on cleaning duty...you can open the gate in front of the trash room?" Naegi interrupted, cutting off Yamada's long explanation of the dangers of trash.

"Of course!" he sniffed. "It's my job to gather up all the garbage and toss it in the trash room. And to do that, they gave me the key for the trash room gate! But," he admitted, grumbling slightly. "We're supposed to rotate once a week, so eventually you'll be in charge."

'I'll have to add this passion for trash into my profile…" I thought, amused by Yamada's reaction to sharing his responsibility.

"Wait, hold on…" A new voice demanded. I turned and saw that Byakuya had snuck up behind us and was listening in. "You need a key to get into the trash room? And only the person on cleaning duty has access to the key? What's the point of going to all that trouble? Why not just leave the trash room open all the time, so we can throw things out whenever we want?"

"Byakuya, I'm surprised at you," I teased. "It's obvious. If anyone could go in and out of the trash room whenever they wanted...then destroying evidence would be easy."

He glared at me irritably, then nodded, his perpetual frown deepening. "I see. The thrill would disappear, and things would become boring."

"B-Boring?" Naegi protested, only to be cut off as Leon-Clone joined the conversation.

"Anyway, more important than that… Hey fatty! Why'd you want the cleaning duty gig anyway!?"

'How rude!' I thought, bristling at Leon-Clone's treatment of Yamada.

"I-I just decided to volunteer for something I knew no one else would wanna do. What's the big deal!?" Yamada spluttered, angry and panicked.

"Liar!" Leon-Clone accused, faking disgust. "You wanna dig through the girls' trash!

'Disgusting!' I thought, taking a step back from the bickering duo. 'Anyone who would even think of that is revolting!"

"What are you talking about?!" Yamada yelled back. "All my love is for 2D!"

"But there are all kinds of trash diggers like that!" Leon-Clone explained. "Maybe you'll get tired of 2D and turn to-"

"I would NEVER get tired of 2D!" Yamada protested with an air of finality. "After spending a significant amount of time comparing 2D and 3D, I voluntarily choose 2D!"

"How are you not totally embarrassed to say stuff like that?!" Leon-Clone wondered.

"If you're so worried about Yamada's questionable morality, then Sakura can accompany a guy on cleaning duty, from picking up the trash to the disposing of it." Byakuya dismissed.

"Whaaat?!" Yamada shouted, hands to his face in horror.

"If you're as innocent as you claim," Byakuya said suspiciously. "Where's the harm in it?"

"Kh-! That's not how it's supposed to-!"

"Anyway," I interrupted, impatient to get back to important matters. "On another topic...Yamada, since you're on cleaning duty, I have a favor to ask you."

"Oh?" he asked, straightening his classes. "You want to join my party? Sorry, but you haven't triggered that flag yet. I mean, you haven't helped me recover from a past trauma, or save a village, or beat a boss…"

"Ummm...no, that's not what I meant," I said, taken aback by Yamada's sudden turn into rpg land.

"N-No, nothing like that," Naegi spoke up, rescuing me. "We were just hoping to get into the trash room and look around."

"Oh, okay!" Yamada said, fist-punching the air.

'T-That was easy..' I thought with a sweatdrop. 'I guess he wants to turn the conversation away from himself.'

We headed back to the trash room with Yamada in tow. I looked around suspiciously as we entered, trying to see where Monokuma would pop out.

"So, you'd like me to open the gate, wouldn't you?" Yamada asked, adjusting his glasses, presumably to act cool. "Bwehehe...You know, when I look at it, it makes me think...They said he killed his wife. He learned how to get by on the inside, but he never stopped dreaming. 'Get busy livin' or get busy dyin',' he said. So him and Rita, they found themselves a way out…"

"I'm sorry, but...what?" I asked, slightly exasperated.

"Whatever, please just hurry up!" Naegi insisted.

"Okie dokie!" Yamada exclaimed. "Leave it to me!" He pulled a key out of his pocket and used it to flip the switch next to the gate. "Oh, wait…" He panicked and turned back to us, spreading his arms as if to block us as the gate opened. "Surely you aren't planning to use the trash room to destroy evidence, are you?"

Naegi shook his head. "We-"

"You fiends! You planned this all along!"

"N-No!" Naegi shouted, waving his arms. "We just wanted to see if the actual killer had tried to destroy evidence or not!"

"But the 'actual killer' is YOU, isn't it!? You want to see if you left anything behind! Wait, maybe a parallel world?"

"Yamada," I sighed. "If Naegi was doing that, then he would've asked you to leave, and he certainly wouldn't want me here, snooping around with a camera!"

Yamada seemed to be off in his own world, muttering to himself.

"Whatever, let's get looking," I said, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

I examined the incinerator, which was at the very back of the trash room, a good thirty feet from the gate. 'Leon is the Ultimate Baseball Player,' I mused. 'But what would he throw?' I glanced down and saw curved pieces of glass. 'Oh. I wonder if Hagakure has noticed that his crystal ball is missing,' I thought, smiling as I took pictures.

"The incinerator is turned on!" Naegi exclaimed.

Yamada snapped out of his trance. "Do you see the green and yellow buttons next to the mouth of the incinerator? It's a pretty simple setup. You press the green button to get it going, and the yellow button to turn it off. Sooner or later, you'll be on cleaning duty, so make sure you learn this before you leave, okaaaAAAAAy? Someone turned the incinerator on!" he panicked. "...Very strange. I'm quite certain it was off the last time I came down here…"

"Are you positive?!" Naegi interrupted.

"Yes," Yamada confirmed. "About that there can be no mistake. If I've got one thing going for me, it's memory! Yesterday, as soon as I was appointed, I came down to check the place out. It definitely wasn't on then. I haven't been back in the trash room since then. And since I'm the only one who has the key to open the gate...it should be impossible for the incinerator to be on. And yet…"

"I see," I murmured, taking a picture of the tattered y-shirt sleeve on the ground. "That bit is crucial. Well," I straightened. "I have everything I need to solve this case. Naegi, you are welcome to investigate all you like."

"B-But!"

"Trust me," I assured him. "I've got everything I need. I'm going to organize it."

* * *

**Classmate Total: 14 :) 2 *_***

Victim: Sayaka Maizono

Weapon: Knife from the kitchen

Place: Makoto Naegi's shower room. There are signs of a struggle in the main bedroom,

and the doorknob to the shower room is unscrewed.

COD: Stab wound to the stomach. It should be noted that her right wrist is broken,

possibly in the struggle.

Other Facts: 1) The katana appears to be the cause of the deep gouges in the walls.

2) Fragments of a bloody Y-shirt and a smashed glass ball were discovered

in the Trash Room.

3) The word "Leon" was written by Maizono-chan before she died. This

word was written upside down and has been mistaken to be "11037"

4) Someone swapped the nameplates of the two rooms

Suspects: Makoto Naegi, Leon Kuwata

Motive: Self-Defense, Graduation

I sighed after looking at my list, written in a notebook I'd designated "Hope's Peak Murders." Kyoko and I had gone through everything, taking photos and writing down striking details. I put all the information and pictures of items and people into a notebook, ready for trial.

'This is going to be a tough trial, but the "Leon" message should be enough to free Naegi of suspicion.'

I decided to go back to Sayaka's room, the one where Naegi had been sleeping and probably would continue to sleep, now that his room was a crime scene.

As I walked, I saw Byakuya walking down the hall in the same direction.

"Byakuya!" I called, suddenly desperate to share what I knew with someone.

I had dressed for a day in court, my outfit completely the same, but my blond hair now in one spiraling ponytail instead of pigtails. I also had my notebook under my arm, ready to present in the Classroom Trial.

Byakuya turned, and walked over to me, his perpetual frown giving away to amusement.

"Are you a lawyer now?" He asked, gesturing toward the notebook I'd written CASE FILE on.

I blushed heavily, my face going completely red as I glared at him. "If you must know, yes. As an artist, I bring worlds to life, and if I want to express that through my sudden love of law, then I will! Logic is an art in and of itself!"

Byakuya chuckled, the first sound of merriment I'd heard him make, and I smiled at the sound of his laughter.

"Art aside, I think you should know that I'm one-hundred percent certain that Naegi is innocent." I switched gears, becoming serious.

Byakuya frowned. "What proof do you have?"

"I'm not exactly sure how the events came about, or what he did afterward, but it was without a doubt Leon Kuwata." I showed Byakuya the dying message and how it was actually "LEON."

"I see," he nodded. "Very well. However, I will continue on my course and push Naegi, if for no other purpose than to make Kuwata feel more secure."

"Sounds good," I said slyly. " See you in court, Mr. Prosecutor." I turned away, leaving him dumbstruck and laughing at me. I continued down the hall to my destination.

"Wait," Byakuya called out, his voice more angry than merry.

I turned in confusion at Byakuya's sudden, angry tone. "What's up?"

"We need to talk about this reckless behavior of yours. Why did you almost get yourself killed trying to save Junko?" As he spoke, he stepped closer, until he was towering over me.

"I…I thought I could save her, so I tried," I said, not meeting his accusing eyes.

"That's all well and good, but what if you were hurt? What then? Naegi would've been proven guilty, as you are the only one who believes him, and our deal would've been void. Don't throw yourself into dangerous situations irresponsibly!"

I looked up, and saw the worry in Byakuya's eyes. 'He's...concerned about me. He did save me today…'

I smiled at him, then nodded. "Understood."

Byakuya nodded curtly, his eyes flashing briefly with relief as he brushed past me.

Suddenly somber, I walked down the hall and knocked on the door to Naegi's new room.

He opened the door suddenly, knocking me over as he raced through the halls.

I let out a short scream as he rammed into me, then kicked into action as I latched onto his arm and used my falling momentum to flip Naegi to the floor. Adrenaline surged through me as I flung him away from me and shot to my feet.

He groaned and sat up, while I shook off the rush and moved to gather the few papers that escaped my file.

"Sorry, Ayano!" He apologized, standing shakily and leaning against the wall. "I didn't mean to knock you over again."

"Sorry about flipping you!" I reciprocated, rubbing where my arm had hit the wall. "You just surprised me, that's all."

He chuckled nervously, then suddenly went ramrod straight. "I need to go to the multimedia room!" He raced away, limping slightly

"Wait!" I yelled, racing after him, catching up easily. "What for?"

He brandished a disc in my face. "This was in Sayaka's trash can!"

"Isn't that...her motive?" I asked, recognizing the disc identical to my own.

Naegi nodded as we turned the corner and entered the multimedia room. "It might not be important, but I have to see!"

We ran over to one of the computers, and I booted it up while Naegi explained how he remembered seeing the disc in the trash the night before,and had just remembered it.

"I think it's very important," I said, putting the disk into a computer. "This will tell us why she wanted to trade rooms with you so badly."

"Sayaka, I'm sorry," he whispered as the computer lit up.

One of Sayaka's songs started playing, and the screen showed her group performing onstage. Then Monokuma's voice came on over the music. "The Ultimate Pop Sensation, Sayaka Maizono, is the central singer in a girl group!" The happy song cut out, and the screen fuzzed, coming back into focus with a close-up of Monokuma's face above a stage.

"But for some reason," Monokuma continued. "This band dissolved!"

I gasped as the screen panned down, showing the still bodies of Sayaka's group, all collapsed onstage, the music returning as a fuzzy, jumbled version of the previous song. "These girls never performed as idols or enjoyed the spotlight ever again!" Monokuma exclaimed. "In other words, Sayaka Maizono no longer has a place to go back to! Now then," he continued. Here's a question for you! Why did this girl group dissolve?"

The screen went red, and then black as words appeared on the screen. "I'll announce the correct answer upon graduation!" Then, it was over.

My mind raced, connecting the dots to this murder as Naegi slumped forward, his frame shaking with grief.

"Wh-What the heck...?" He gasped. "She was so scared about being forgotten. She had finally created a family and was doing what she loved. She told me that every second she spent in here was another moment that she wasn't performing, another moment during which the world would forget about her. She just wanted to belong! And now...I don't believe it! This is a girl group! Was he able to get his paws on such a big band?!"

I felt fear wash over me as I grasped what Naegi was saying. "If he could get through their security, and hurt such a well-protected group, then what about our families?"

I saw my panic reflected in his eyes, and I fought to stay calm. 'Everything's fine,' I thought, trying to slow my heartbeat. 'Focus on the task at hand, or it won't matter, because you'll be dead!" Anger surged through me, for Sayaka, for my family, and for the truth I was hiding from Naegi. Once again, I saw red and, without thinking, slammed my hand down.

Naegi gasped, interrupting my panic and bringing me back to the present, where I had punched through the computer screen, cutting my hand on the glass and sending shards all over the floor. Wires and various pieces of computer were scattered like confetti, sending random sparks across the table and floor..

I jerked back, and stared at Naegi nervously, who looked at me with fear.

"Umm, I can expl-"

He gasped, and ran from the room, leaving the door open behind him.

"Naegi, wait!" I called, blinking back tears as the pain from my hand mixed with the pain of Naegi's fear.

'Great, just great,' I thought, looking at the long cut that started at the knuckle of my middle finger and travelled to my wrist. Several smaller cuts dotted my hand, which was bleeding profusely. I bit my lip and reached with a shaking hand to gently touch the long cut, only to find that there were several bits of glass stuck in my hand.

Frustration welled up inside me, and I gasped in pain as I wrenched the first piece of glass out, making more blood flow out of the cut.

"My, my, my! Breaking more school property, are we?"

I jerked my head up to look at Monokuma, who was standing on the table and leaning over me, looking at my hand.

"And what will happen now, I wonder?" Monokuma mused aloud. "Naegi knows your secret! Can he be trusted not to tell? You might have to silence him for good!"

I laughed bitterly. "And wouldn't that just solve everything. Look, I'm sorry about the computer, but it provoked me."

"No, no!" Monokuma waved it off. "At this school, violent tendencies are encouraged! Feel free to break anything that's not the cameras or monitors. Our budget has an amount allotted for such purposes. At any rate, I'm just sad it didn't kill anything...well, other than your hand and chance at friendship! Pupupu!"

With those charming words, Monokuma wandered out of the room, giggling.

I counted to ten silently, then looked down at my hand. It seemed as if there was more glass in it than before, and it stung so bad I felt myself tear up again. "I'm so stupid," I muttered, gazing at the wreck of a computer I had to clean up.

Then, I heard a pounding in the hallway. I looked up curiously as Naegi ran back into the room, followed by Asahina, Sakura, Ohwada, Chihiro, and Byakuya.

"Oh my goodness!" Asahina exclaimed, dropping the First-Aid kit she was carrying. "There's glass and computer guts all over the place!"

"G-Guys?" I stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Byakuya snapped, concern gracing his features as he walked over to me. "Naegi came bounding into the cafeteria, shouting that you had hurt yourself badly. Of course those of us present came!"

"Thank you," I said gratefully, smiling broadly at my friends, my previous sadness and hurt forgotten as I saw their concern.

"A-Ayano! You're losing a lot of blood!" Chihiro trembled and grabbed the fallen First-Aid kit. "We need to bandage you up!"

I held out my hand, wincing as pain burst through my hand at the movement.

Ohwada gently grabbed my hand and shined a small flashlight onto the cuts. He whistled softly. "That's a lot of glass!" He laughed. "What did you do?!"

"It looks as though she punched through this computer," Sakura observed, gazing at the broken mess that used to be a computer. "You must learn to control your temper."

I laughed nervously. "That's what my Sensei always told me."

Sakura nodded. "You seemed to have the bearing of someone who has trained."

"This isn't important right now!" Byakuya said angrily, holding a pair of tweezers from the First-Aid kit. "Hold still while Ohwada and I get the glass out. Ogami, Asahina, and Naegi, sweep up the glass so no one else gets hurt."

"Yes sir!" Asahina exclaimed. "I'll go get some brooms."

"I'll help!" Naegi volunteered.

Chihiro held up a bandage. "I can bandage you up, Ayano."

"Okay, " I said, pain forgotten as my friends swarmed around me. All my anger was washed away by their kindness, and I felt happy that they bothered to come and help me. A rush of warmth shot through me as I watched them clean up my mess. 'Moments like this are worth protecting,' I thought.

Byakuya carefully removed each shard of glass, while Ohwada pointed the flashlight wherever Byakuya directed.

"I thought you said you were going to be more careful," he muttered coldly, using more force than necessary to remove the glass.

I winced. "I know, I know! It was not my intention to punch the computer, it just sort of… happened. I saw red and then there was glass everywhere."

Ohwada nodded, grinning. "The same thing happens to me. It just takes time to learn how to control that kind of thing. It can come in handy though, like keeping some of my gang members in line."

"However, since she has only hurt herself, it would be better for her to learn a little more discipline!" Byakuya snapped, pulling out the last piece of glass. "One dead classmate is more than enough."

I nodded as he spread antibiotics on my cuts, trying not to laugh as Ohwada glared at Byakuya's head.

Chihiro stepped forward and expertly wrapped my hand, leaving me free use of my fingers, while everyone else cleaned up the mess I'd made, getting the job done in no time.

"Thank you," I said for perhaps the thousandth time.

"Just control that wicked strength of yours, next time!" Asahina laughed.

I grinned cheekily, then looked at my bandaged hand. "I will," I promised. I looked up at each of my friends. "Do you mind not letting everyone else know? It's kind of a secret…"

"No problem!" Ohwada nodded. "It's a promise made amongst friends."

Everyone else nodded, smiling and reassuring me, except for Byakuya, who just nodded.

I smiled, reveling in the feeling of friendship and wishing the moment would last.

Of course, Monokuma chose that moment to ring those accursed bells. We jumped, startled at the loud sound, then turned to the giant screen where the school insignia appeared, followed by our _beloved_ principal, Monokuma.

He sat in a chair, leaning his head against his white paw. There seemed to be several screens in the background behind him, and I squinted to get a better look.

"Uh, I'm tired of waiting," he complained, scratching his back with his other paw. "So why don't we get this show on the road? It's time for the highly anticipated Classroom Trial!"

Everyone gasped and straightened, remembering that Naegi was to be on trial for murder. Instantly, the good feeling vanished, leaving behind a grim sense of foreboding.

"Now then, please enter the red door on the first floor in the school area."

Naegi walked to the door, his head down. "I-I better go put the disk back in Sayaka's room. It's not right to leave it in here."

We all looked at each other sadly, then slowly exited the room. Byakuya walked beside me. "Is your hand alright?" He asked, a light pink staining his cheeks as he stared ahead.

"Yes, I don't even feel it, thanks to you guys," I said, the warm feeling still present in my chest as I thought of my friends.

"Good," Byakuya said briskly. "It's detrimental to me if an ally is wounded."

"Thank you for your concern," I said sarcastically.

"Concern aside, are you ready for the Trial?" he questioned.

I gripped my notebook tightly. "Ready."

We entered the room past the red door, and changed our lives forever as we, high schoolers would sentence one of our own to death.

* * *

**Classmate Total: 14 :) 2 *_***

Naegi entered the room a few minutes later, sadness etched across his features.

"Naegi, you're late!" Ishimaru scolded. "You kept everyone waiting."

"H-He's afraid!" Fukawa declared. "Scared we'll prove that he's guilty!"

"You shouldn't condemn him!" Ishimaru said angrily, his tone matching the glare I sent Fukawa. "Wait until after the Class Trial!"

"Ain't it obvious that Naegi's the killer?" Kuwata-Clone asked.

"Not at all!" I announced. "In fact, I'm sure Naegi's innocent, and I will defend him!"

Everyone looked at me, the majority shocked at my bold announcement, and I looked at each of them individually, daring them to question my judgement..

"Pupupu! Is everyone there?" Monokuma asked, opening the elevator on the wall opposite the door. "That will carry you to the courtroom. This is the courtroom that will determine yer fates!"

Everyone walked in, except Naegi, Kyoko, and I.

"Are you scared?" She asked him, ignoring his look of surprise as she continued. "You and Ayano should be the ones who solve the riddle behind this case. She's putting her trust in you, and it's your job to protect that trust and give her hope of your innocence. If you do not, I am certain that you will be unsatisfied with how this case ends." With that, she walked away.

"Naegi," I said, grabbing his arm. "I believe in you, so please, believe in me."

He nodded, hope shining in his eyes. "I do."

I smiled, and we walked into the spacious elevator together. Immediately it started to rise, ready to bring us to the place where we would live or die by how well I presented this case.

'And thus, the curtain rises,' I thought grimly. 'This is our reality now. A life or death trial. Risking our lives to outwit each other, to betray each other. Our lives hang on solving the riddle, pleading our cases, and trusting one another. Our lives are on the line…in the Class Trial!'

The elevator doors opened, and I saw a circle of podiums in front of a chair that can only be described as a throne. The walls were a deep blue, with golden pillars. Red curtains were located behind every podium, leading to who knows where. Looking to either side of the curtain we had just come through, I saw a faint heart mark in the wall, at about forty-five degrees behind and to the right of the podium across from the throne.

"Is this the courtroom?" Naegi asked, looking around.

"Oh, goodie! Yer finally here!" Monokuma exclaimed, lounging languidly on his throne. He leaned his head against his white paw and gestured with his black paw. "Whatcha think? Doesn't it match what you were expecting?"

"This place is screwed up!" Ohwada declared.

"If I may," Kyoko asked, drawing everyone's attention to her. "I would like to ask something before we begin the debate. What purpose do those serve?"

I followed her line of sight and saw, to my disgust, that two of the podiums were taken up by black and white memorial pictures of Sayaka and Junko, with large red "X"s across the frames.

"It doesn't seem right to leave them out just 'cause they're dead, does it?" Monokuma countered.

"In which case, to whom does that podium belong?" Kyoko asked. "With only sixteen of us, why the need for seventeen podiums?"

"Don't read too much into it," Monokuma said, waving the matter away. "That just means this courtroom can hold a maximum of seventeen jurors." He leapt forward, suddenly aggressive. "Welp, we've spent long enough on getting situated. It's about time we got this Class Trial underway!"

I stood directly across from Monokuma, in between Byakuya and Chihiro. (A.N. I'm very aware that you sticklers will point out that this is not the order from the anime, but as the author, I'm making an executive decision!) Naegi stood to my left, between Chihiro and the Sayaka photo.

"Is the murderer... really amongst us?" Naegi questioned, looking at Sayaka's photo.

"Of course!" Monokuma exclaimed, giving us a thumbs-up. "There's no doubt about it."

"Very well!" Ishimaru said, nodding. "Everyone, close your eyes! Whoever the culprit is, raise your hand!"

"Are you stupid? Like he's gonna play along!" Ohwada dismissed.

"Pupupupu," Monokuma laughed, blushing with excitement. "Now then, please begin the debate."

'I can't mess this up,' I thought, glaring at the bear. 'If I do, we'll all die!'

CLASSROOM TRIAL: IN SESSION

"I'm not sure how to debate," Asahina began, looking around worriedly.

"Where should we start?" Yamada asked.

"First, let's begin by inspecting the weapon used to commit the crime," Kyoko instructed.

"The knife that was plunged into Maizono's stomach, that must be the weapon. That is what killed her!" Ishimaru announced.  
"Anyone with eyes could see that!" Ohwada complained.

"Hold it!" I said, directing all eyes to me. "This is really important!"

"How so?" asked Ohwada.

"It means that someone took the knife from the kitchen," Naegi explained.

"Are you saying that whoever went into the kitchen is the culprit?" Asahina asked, putting a finger to her chin in contemplation.

"Not necessarily, but it would tell us who to question," I answered, writing the facts in my notebook.

"But it boils down to the same thing," Kuwata-Clone said, scratching his head. "Naegi did her in."

"Wait!" Asahina exclaimed. "Naegi didn't take the knife from the kitchen!"

"Please explain!" I pleaded, writing as fast as I could to catch her testimony.

"Sakura and I spent the whole day in the cafeteria, so I'd know…" she answered.

"Uh, just to verify," Kyoko questioned. "Who exactly is Sakura?"

"'Tis I" Ogami answered, completely nonchalant.

"..."

'They seem so surprised, it's almost insulting,' I thought, as everyone went silent. "Please, give us your testimony," I asked patiently.

"Last night, Asahina and I partook of evening tea," Sakura confirmed.

"I was feeling scared!" Asahina admitted, a blush staining her cheeks. "So I kinda pushed Sakura into hanging out with me."

"If you were accomplices, you could say anything if you matched your stories!" Fukawa-chan interrupted, pointing wildly, panic evident in her expression.

"Objection!" I shouted, pointing at Fukawa. "The Digital Notebook makes it clear that even with accomplices, the only one to graduate would be the killer. And, as one person graduating means the death of everyone else, it would be suicide to work together! Isn't that right, Monokuma?"

"That is correct," Monokuma said, his paw stirring a pot of honey. "The only one to graduate is the guilty student who carried out the crime!" He threw the pot as he waved his arm in excitement.

"In other words,there is nothing to gain by defending someone." Celestia summed up, a bored look on her face.

"Please refrain from throwing baseless accusations around, please" I said, glaring at Fukawa. "I'd like to keep my life."

"Th-Then, if you weren't in on it, who took the knife, you swimming freak?!" Fukawa demanded.

"'Swimming freak?!'" Asahina repeated, outraged.

"While we were in the cafeteria, there was but one who visited the kitchen." Sakura interrupted, breaking up the growing tension.

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Byakuya asked coldly.

"Because she isn't with us anymore," Asahina explained sadly.

"You mean…" Naegi said incredulously.

"It was Sayaka Maizono," Asahina confirmed. "She came to the kitchen, but she's dead."

"Maizono took a knife out of the kitchen?!" Naegi repeated, dazed.

"She is the only conceivable possibility," Sakura agreed. "Asahina said that she would make royal milk tea, when Maizono entered the kitchen. She said that she was thirsty, wished us a good evening, then left."

"I didn't think much of it at the time," Asahina added.

"Who would have thought?!" Ohwada said, scratching his head.

"In which case, it was none other than the victim herself, Maizono, who took the knife!" Ishimaru declared.

"I'm sure, she must've wanted it for self-defense," Naegi protested. "She was looking all over the school for something to protect herself with earlier!"

"Assuming that is true, it means the culprit stole the knife Maizono had taken, and then proceeded to kill her with it," Byakuya said.

"You're right," Naegi said.

"Furthermore Naegi, I do not believe this has cleared your name," Byakuya continued.

"S-See! I told you! I just knew Naegi was behind this!" Fukawa shouted.

"Objection!" I yelled, disdain dripping from my words. "I believe I already told you, Fukawa. Do not shout out baseless accusations based on hearsay! People will believe YOU are the culprit based on how you fling guilt onto anyone in question, and we will all die because of your stupidity!"

"Are you trying to manipulate the debate and lead us down the wrong path?" Yamada accused, fiddling with his glasses while Fukawa shank back. "What terrifying skills you have!"

"To what end?" I countered. "If I were the murderer, I'd let you think it's Naegi. If I thought the murderer was Naegi, I'd make sure you knew it was him. Either way you look at it, the only reason I'd help him would be…"

"If you both were innocent," Kyoko finished. "That must mean that you have proof that Naegi isn't the culprit."

"Correct," I said, straightening.

"Then let us hear it," Sakura prodded.

"Think about the scene of the crime," I began conjuring up the scene in my mind and walking through it. "It was messy, scratches in the walls, signs of a struggle everywhere, but there were several key clues. Like the fact that all hair was removed from the scene, which was obviously done by the killer to disguise that they had been there. If Naegi was the killer, he wouldn't need to erase any sign that he had been there, right?"

"I see your point," Sakura said, nodding. "The killer would not need to erase their hair from the room. I was also there to confirm this."

"Also, this." I held up a picture of the unscrewed doorknob to the shower room. "Did the culprit slip effortlessly into the shower room?"

"What is the point of that question?" Celestia asked.

"The doorknob was broken," Naegi answered.

"True, it looked like it had been trashed," Yamada agreed.

"N-Naegi tried to force it open and broke it," Fukawa yelled, pointing to Naegi. "He broke it with force!"

"Objection!" I said fiercely. "That is precisely why Naegi isn't the culprit!"

"I agree." Kyoko said, nodding. "That fact alone clears Naegi of any and all suspicion."

"What are ya' talking about?" Ohwada asked. "He had to break it if he wanted in, right? She locked the door from the other side!"

"Objection!" I said at the same time Naegi shouted "You're wrong!"

"Weren't the only shower rooms with locking doors in the girls' rooms?" Naegi asked desperately, sweat running down his face.

"Huh?" Ohwada asked. "What're you talkin' about?"

"Apparently, the shower rooms in the guys' rooms don't have locks," Naegi explained. "Isn't that right, Monokuma?"

"Yep! That's right!" Monokuma agreed, laying on his stomach and kicking his legs into the air.

"Then why wouldn't your shower room's door open, Naegi?" Chihiro asked.

"That's because I have a poorly fit door," he answered. "The culprit was under the misconception that the door wouldn't open because she had locked it from the inside. That's why he tried to break the doorknob!"

"If Naegi was the culprit," Kyoko said. "He could have opened the door without going through all that effort."

"S-So it wasn't Naegi?" Fukawa asked softly.

"It wasn't," I answered.

"Kirigiri, Ayano…" Naegi said gratefully.

"Do not relax." Kyoko warned. "We aren't done yet."

"The trial's only just begun," I agreed.

"Then let us assume that someone else was the murderer," Celestia said. "Where would he get the idea that the door was locked when it was a boy's room?"

"I imagine the killer truly believed it was a girl's room," Kyoko replied."He was convinced that it was Sayaka Maizono's room."

"So you're saying that it was someone who didn't know about the room swap?" Chihiro asked.

"That's everyone except for Naegi!" Fukawa shrieked.

"Then who the hell is the culprit?" Ohwada asked angrily, ready to punch something or someone.

"I know!" Ishimaru exclaimed. "Let's decide by majority vote for now!"

"You're cool with doin' that, 'for now?'" Kuwata-Clone scoffed.

"Ain't we in a bit of a pinch?" Hagakure asked nervously. "Really now, if someone doesn't do something…"

"It does not matter how trivial the matter may seem," Celestia pronounced. "Does anyone feel that something seems amiss?"

"Something feels off to me!" Asahina announced. "See, I was wondering how the killer got into Naegi-kun's room to begin with."

"He picked the lock?"Chihiro offered.

"No, the locks were supposed to have anti-picking mechanisms!" Ishimaru disagreed.

Yamada laughed. "Then allow this here genius to tell you!" He struck a pose and, in a deeper voice announced that, "Bluntly put, Miss Maizono invited the killer, who was posing as a visitor, into her room!"

"Yamada...there is no way Miss Maizono opened the door," Naegi disagreed.

"Oh? You have the nerve to argue with me?" Yamada sneered. "Hello! Why are you so certain she wouldn't open her door?!"

"That's a given," Naegi said sadly. "For one thing, she was scared stiff. She promised not to open the door, even if she thought it was me. I have a hard time believing that she would open the door after saying something like that."

Kirigiri looked at me and nodded. I began rifling through the case file as she suggested, "In that case, what if her being scared was an act in and of itself?"

Everyone gasped, and Naegi rounded on Kirigiri. "H-How could you say that?! There's no way she'd do that!"

"I doubt you want to consider the possibility, Naegi," I said. "But can you maintain that stance after seeing this?" I held up an imprint of a note that Kirigiri had found at the crime scene.

"There's something I want to discuss in private," said the note. "Please come to my room. Make sure to check the nameplate so you don't go to the wrong room by mistake."

"What...is that?" Naegi asked weakly.

"The pressure of her pen dented the paper underneath," Kirigiri explained as I passed Naegi the note. "I found this is a notebook that was in your room, Naegi."

"Naegi, were you the one who wrote this?" I pressed gently.

"No, it wasn't me," he admitted.

"I thought not," Kirigiri responded. "It appears that the memo was signed by what looks like "'Maizono.'"

"Why would she write a memo like this?" Naegi questioned.

"Naegi, it's time to face the facts," I said gently. "She wrote that memo to invite someone to your room."

"Any guy'd kill to see the day an Ultimate Pop Sensation invites him to her room," Yamada sighed. "Oh, but naturally, I'm only interested in 2-D girls, so no worries there!"

"However, I do believe that memo with Maizono's signature said, 'Come to my room,' did it not?" Celestia reminded us.

"But then wouldn't he go to Miss Maizono's room while Naegi was there?" Chihiro asked, confused.

"No," I disagreed. "The culprit was certain to go to Naegi's room."

"My! Why is that?" Celestia asked.

"Not only did the residents swap rooms, but also nameplates," I answered. "I noticed the swap when Naegi and I found Sayaka's body."

"Then the person she invited in that memo," Chihiro began.

"Would undoubtedly find himself welcomed into Naegi's room, where Sayaka Maizono was waiting." Byakuya finished.

"The question here is, why?" I continued. "It clearly was not Naegi, correct?"

"R-Right," he answered.

"Th-Then who the heck did it?" Leon-Clone asked nervously.

"Only one person could have done it," Naegi smiled bitterly. "It had to be the only other person who knew that we'd swapped rooms...Miss Maizono."

"But why'd she ask someone over after swapping rooms with you?" Asahina asked.

"Maizono was planning to kill someone," Byakuya answered. "I suspect that after the murder, she had intended to return the nameplates, and place the blame on Naegi.

"She would never-" Naegi protested.

"Are you certain?" asked Byakuya. "Look at all of the evidence pointing otherwise. The problem with her plan was that she gave the fool she invited into your room the chance to fight back."

"So, he got first strike with the katana!" Hagakure shouted.

"No, that was used in defense," Celestia clarified.

"In general, that is what scratches on a sheath imply." Byakuya confirmed, watching me as I pulled out pictures of the scratched-up sheath and room to pass around. "If everything had gone according to plan, Maizono would be standing here now, as if nothing had ever happened."

"Sayaka, why?" Naegi asked, grief etched onto his features.

"Isn't that obvious?" Celestia asked. "It was to escape from this school, or so I suspect.

"She's right, Naegi," I said, picturing the night of the murder and watching it play out in my mind. "We saw her disk, remember? Sayaka desperately wanted to leave, so she set things up to frame you and invited someone to her room. She waited in the shower room for the door to open, then leapt at him with her knife, but missed. She didn't remove any of the weapons in the room, giving him the chance to fight back with the katana. He blocked her knife with the sheath, then hit her wrist, breaking it and causing her to drop the knife. He then went on the offensive, trying to cut her down with the unsheathed blade, and creating the scratches on the walls. She ran into the shower room, and closed the door. The murderer, thinking it was locked, unscrewed the door and stabbed Sayaka with the knife she had dropped."

"In the end, she was ultimately defeated and killed, so she failed to get far," Byakuya commented.

"Don't put it like that!" Naegi protested.

"Why not?" Byakuya asked angrily. "That is how this game works."

"Even so-!" Naegi shouted.

"Calm yourself," interrupted Kirigiri, making both boys turn to her. "This is hardly the time to argue."

"Indeed not," agreed Celestia. "We have not yet decided upon a culprit."

"It has to be someone here in our midst," Byakuya said, crossing his arms.

"Y-You're right!" Hagakure exclaimed. "We gotta pick someone, or else…!"

"W-We're dead! Dead!" cried Fukawa. "All of us are goners!"

'Not yet!' I thought. 'Now's the time to reveal the truth!'

"Yeah, like we could pick," Leon-Clone said sadly. "We're fresh outta clues, ya know? What more can we do?"

"Objection!" I shouted.

"Wh-What is it?" he asked nervously.

"We still have some clues!" I proclaimed. "Sayaka left behind, a dying message!"

"A dying...what?" Leon-Clone questioned, obviously confused.

"A dying message," repeated Kirigiri-, her hand on her chin as she thought. "Wasn't it on the wall next to Maizono's back?"

"Oh!" Ohwada smacked his fist into his palm. "I remember!"

"Wasn't it that 11037 thingy?" Asahina said thoughtfully.

"If yer gonna talk numbers," Ohwada began, "isn't that girl a whiz?" He pointed to Chihiro. "You're an Ultimate Programmer, aren't you?"

"But I came up empty-handed," Chihiro explained sadly. "Try as I might, I can't draw any correlation between those numbers."

"Because they aren't numbers," I said.

Everyone gasped and turned to look at me, as I held up a picture of the message. "This is Sayaka, remember? She's no number whiz, meaning that she'd give us something easy to understand. The problem is, we're over-thinking it."

"What do you mean?" Asahina asked. "How are we over-thinking it?

I walked to the wall and leaned against it. "Pretend I'm Sayaka. I know that I'm dying, but I still have a little time. I write the name of my killer on the wall behind me. The problem is, I'm looking down at the wall and writing, which means…"

"It's upside-down!" Byakuya said.

"Exactly!" I said, coming back to my podium. "If we flip 11037 upside-down, it becomes...Leon!" I demonstrated with the photo from the crime scene.

"Isn't that your name...Leon Kuwata?" Naegi asked, unable to face the person he was accusing.

Leon-Clone jerked back, fear on his face.

"Leon Kuwata," Sakura confirmed, her arms crossed in disapproval.

"Wait! Ain't that a bit far-fetched?" Leon-Clone protested angrily, panic evident in his movements.

"She was leaning against the wall she wrote it on," Kirigiri mused.

"Because of her position, it looked as if the message had been flipped one hundred-eighty degrees." Naegi summed up. "We've proven that, so how can it be far-fetched?"

"What the hell?" Leon-Clone shouted, furious. "You think I did it?! You can cut the BS already!"

"If you are not the culprit," Kirigiri said, pointing to my casefile. "Why did you try to destroy the evidence?"

"Huh?" Leon-Clone asked, his face pale and sweaty.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ishimaru thundered.

"Are you talking about the scorched remains of a Y-shirt, and those glass ball fragments in the trash room?" Naegi ventured.

"Oh! I recall seeing those!" Yamada said, taking the pictures from me and looking closely.

"Come to think of it," Hagakure said, grabbing the picture of the smashed glass, and squinting at it. "I haven't seen my crystal ball...Th-That wouldn't be this utterly destroyed thing, would it?"

"It seems that we know the answer to the final puzzle that will figure this out!" Kirigiri said confidently.

I nodded. "Allow me to walk you through the case one more time." I took a deep breath and set the scene, watching it unfold around me. "This case's culprit rushed to destroy all of the evidence after he killed Sayaka. But he couldn't get near the incinerator! This is when the culprit used Hagakure's crystal ball. He threw the ball to activate the incinerator, then tied the shirt into a knot and threw it into the flames. Although this would be all but impossible for a normal person, the culprit was confident that he could make his plan work. That's because he was an Ultimate Baseball Star!

"The culprit relaxed after disposing of the evidence and left the trash room. But this is where he made a mistake. Part of the Y-shirt he had thrown into the incinerator fell out! And the culprit had no idea that this scrap of material would be used as conclusive evidence against him! Isn't that right, Leon Kuwata?!" I shouted, pointing to the Leon-Clone.

He glared at me, hatred flaring in his features, and sweat rolling down his face.

"How about it, Kuwata?" Kirigiri asked. "Would you care to object?"

"Do I care to reject, huh?" He repeated, his form shaking with rage and hatred. "I do!" He exploded, his eyes manic and bloodshot. "I do! I do! You better friggin' believe I do!" He turned to Naegi and I. "Moron, moron, moron, moron, moron, moron! I'll never 'fess up! Moron, moron, moron…"

"But as an Ultimate Baseball Star," Naegi interrupted, almost apologetically, as Leon-Clone continued to shout. "You're the only one capable of hitting the incinerator's switch with a glass ball!"

"Moron, moron, moron!" Leon-Clone shouted. "No flippin' way I'll confess! Besides, Yamada could get past the gate since he's on trash duty!"

"But Yamada wouldn't need to throw a glass ball from the outside _because _he can get in!" Naegi protested.

"Objection, objection, objection!" Leon-Clone screamed, spit flying from his mouth as he spoke. "Moron, moron, moron! And seriously?! Claiming I 'threw the glass ball to hide the evidence,' is nothing more than speculation based on circumstantial evidence!"

"True," I interjected, "But there is other evidence that points to you as the culprit!"

"Don't make crap up!" He spit at me.

"The screws to the shower room's doorknob were removed."

"So who gives a rat's ass?!"

"How did the culprit remove the screws? " I shouted, getting angry myself.

"Your reasoning is so flippin' wrong, you retarded piece of s***!"

I froze, anger making me see red. "What did you call me?" I whispered.

"Oh, no," Byakuya said, grabbing my arm.

He repeated it, louder and angrier, replacing "flippin'" with a stronger word.

Adrenaline flowing through me, I leapt over my podium and cut through the center of the circle, aware of the gasps of surprise from my classmates. Less than a second later, I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him close.

"Listen here, scumbag," I snarled in his face. "Shut up and listen when a girl is speaking to you. Now," I smiled at his face, which was full of fear and shock. "If what I'm thinking is right, there should be evidence that you've used the screwdriver in your toolkit!"

He slapped my hand away, angry again. "Moron, moron, moron, moron, moron, moron! Without any evidence, this trial's just a sham! I won't take this crap! You probably did it you freak! Artist my ass! More like psychopath!"

"Leon?" I asked sweetly. "Could you show us your tool kit?"

He jerked back, shock and utter panic on his face.

I took a deep breath and walked back to my podium. "Sorry," I said sheepishly. "If there's one thing I hate, it's people using profanity toward me." I expected fear, and I saw it on Yamada and Fukawa, but everyone else seemed to be looking at me with...Respect?

"I'm sure Leon's tool kit has been used," I proclaimed.

"If you have used it somewhere else, I expect you to explain precisely where and how it was used," Byakuya said, glaring at Leon.

"Just so you know, 'I lost it,' is not an acceptable excuse," Kirigiri added.

"Are you alright?" Byakuya asked me softly.

I smiled, breathing heavily. "Yeah. Sorry about that, but sometimes this temper of mine gets the best of me."

"I've seen." He commented dryly.

I smirked and turned back to Leon, who was stuttering. "M-M-M-M-M-M-Moron?"

"It would seem he does not have an argument in his defense," Byakuya said with an air of finality.

"Pupupupu!" Monokuma laughed. "Well, looks like you've just about wrapped up yer debate. In which case, let's move on to Voting Time!" He waved his paws in the air and bounced with happiness. "Punks, please vote by pressing the switch in front of you. Who will come out guilty in the vote? The answer is…"

Any feeling of victory or goodwill vanished, and everybody trembled as our podiums showed the faces of our classmates. I looked up at Leon-Clone, who was trembling with fear.

'Ayano said that they don't feel pain or fear, but what about regret? He's going to die, and it will be my fault!'

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I cursed myself for reacting to his name-calling and taking away what security he had left. Monokuma was bouncing in his chair, and everyone was staring at their podium, when I caught Leon-Clone's eye.

He dropped all expression, and then smiled at me, mouthing, "Thank you." Then, he looked at his podium and voted for himself.

Overwhelmed with sadness and grief, I shakily pressed Leon's face, sealing his death and my guilt.

Overhead, a giant casino-style board labelled "Monokuma Vote" appeared. It spun, cycling through our faces and landing with three Leon's in a row. The guilty sign flashed, and confetti rained down on us.

"Yahoo!" Monokuma yelled, excitedly giving us a thumbs up. "You're totally right! The person who killed Sayaka Maizono in this murder case was Leon Kuwata!"

Leon-Clone pretended to be fearful and shocked. "Yeah?" He whispered.

"Leon…"Asahina said sadly.

"Bastard! What the hell were ya thinkin'?!" Ohwada yelled, shaking with sorrow.

"I didn't have a choice…" Leon-Clone whispered, his face shadowed. "I mean, she was tryin' to do me in. So, like, my only option was to kill her. One wrong move, and this coulda' happened to you!" He shouted, tears welling up in his eyes, as he fell to his knees.

'He's defending his Original's actions,' I realized. 'This whole trial, he was acting in the way the real Leon-kun would've, but now...he doesn't want us to hate his Original.' I remembered Ayano's tears when she thought I was going to die. 'They really care about us…' Tears welled up in my eyes again, and small sobs wracked my body.

"Okay, so there you have it!" Monokuma announced. "You did a magnificent job identifying the guilty party...now let's move on to Leon Kuwata's punishment!" He put his white thumb down.

"W-Wait just a minute!" Leon-Clone pleaded, backing away. "I only killed her 'cause I had to! That's right! It was legitimate self-defense!" He laughed. "I accidentally killed her while trying to protect myself!" He ran over to me and grabbed my hand.

"Look, I'm sorry for what I said, so please don't let him kill me!" He pressed something into my hand, and I tightened my grip on it. He smiled one last time and said softly, "Please don't hate Leon."

I nodded and jerked back, crying harder as Byakuya steadied me, and pulled me away from Leon-Clone.

"Now, then, why don't we get yer punishment underway?" Monokuma laughed, waving his legs and arms with mirth, and punching the air. "Everyone is waiting!"

Leon-Clone turned, absolute terror present on his face. "W-Wait! Please wait!"

"Excuses don't work here!" Monokuma said simply. "If ya disrupt the peace, ya get punished! Isn't that one of society's rules?" He opened his mouth and laughed, the first time we had seen him move his mouth.

"N-No!" Leon-Clone shouted. "No!" He ran to the wall behind his podium and beat his fists against it. "Let me outta here! Please let me out!"

"For the Ultimate Baseball Player, Leon Kuwata, I've prepared a special little punishment!" Monokuma shook with glee as Leon-Clone screamed for help. We all looked on in utter horror, unable to do anything but stand there.

"NOOO!" Leon-Clone screamed in terror.

Monokuma pulled out a gavel as a red button emerged in front of him. He hit it with a chilling smile and the words "Game over: Leon Kuwata was found Guilty" appeared on the overhead screen, with a little animation of Monokuma dragging Leon-Clone off screen.

TIME FOR HIS PUNISHMENT: MILLION FUNGOES

A claw shot out of the wall and grabbed Leon-Clone by the neck. He was dragged backwards out of the courtroom.

"Leon!" I yelled, running after him, my classmates on my heels. We ran through the curtain behind him, which had opened into a long hallway, the word "OCCUPIED" glowing above the room.

Leon-Clone screamed the whole way down the hall, and I raced to grab him before it was too late. I was forty feet away, thirty feet, twenty, when a fence rose out of the ground behind Leon-Clone, separating him from me. I skidded to a stop, just before hitting the fence, and looked on helplessly as Leon-Clone was secured to a post, arms and legs completely bound.

With a sick feeling, I realized we were outside a batting cage, and Leon-Clone was bound at the pitcher's mound, lights trained on his terrified face. He strained at his bindings, when a giant machine, resembling a gatling gun, appeared in front of him. Naegi and I grabbed the fence tightly as baseballs loaded themselves into the gun. The machine whirred and came to life, ready to spit balls to Monokuma, who was wearing a helmet and holding a bat. Monokuma stood behind Leon-Clone, and gave the signal.

The machine spit a few balls at Leon-Clone, who cried out as they hit him. The scoreboard behind him came to life, counting the number of hits. Then, the machine roared, and shot the balls out as fast as bullets. Leon-Clone screamed, and the gun moved up and down, hitting him in the stomach, chest and face. The field spun, and Leon-Clone was pelted on all sides. Blood, baseballs, and flesh flew as Monokuma hit every ball that bounced off of Leon-Clone's body.

Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The gate opened, and all that remained of Leon-Clone was a bloody mass bound to a post. It was the most gruesome thing I had ever seen, stealing my tears, and a part of me that I would never get back.

"Yahoo! That's extreme!" Monokuma shouted, a blush staining his cheeks as he jumped up and down. "Adrenaline is filling every inch of my body!"

A solitary tear trailed down my cheek as I looked at Leon-Clone's mangled body. Behind me, Fukawa and Yamada screamed and cried. "What is this?! What is this?!"

"I can't take this!" Chihiro sobbed, sinking to her knees.

"If you can't take this," Monokuma scolded, blocking the exit. "Cut all ties with the outside world, and accept that you'll spend the rest of yer life in here. But," he said, laughing. "That's assumin' yer even capable of that." Monokuma laughed loudly, and began teasing individual students.

I turned away from them and looked at the crumpled piece of paper in my hand. It was a note:

Ayano,

I understand that you are upset about my death, but I'm not. I protected my Original, which is what I was made to do. I'm not dead, because I was never really alive. I was created from DNA and implanted memories from my Original, so, in a way, I'm just returning to Leon. Please don't hate him, he really didn't want to hurt anyone. Please forgive Maizono as well. This place will find the despair inside you and bring out your worst.

Remember to always have hope, and thank you for letting me save Leon,

Leon Kuwata-Clone

I crushed the note in my hand, determination filling me. Leon-Clone didn't ask for my pity, he asked for my help, and I was going to give it to him! I was going to save everyone here, and defeat Monokuma!

"I know, I know, Naegi," Monokuma was saying.

"You know? What do you know?!" Naegi challenged.

"You feel despair when you think about Miss Maizono and how she betrayed you, right?" Monokuma nodded his head.

"Screw you!" Naegi yelled. "Everything...It was all your fault!"

Kirigiri put out an arm to stop him. "Stop for now, assuming you truly wish to avenge her."

"Damn it!" Naegi hissed. "Damn it!"

'Hang on Naegi,' I willed, walking over to Chihiro and helping her up. 'I promise, each and everyone of you...we will survive!'

**Classmate Total: 13 :) 3 *_***

**_A.N. SUPER LONG CHAPTER! Thank you guys for all the support! See you next time!_**

**_UPDATE NOTICE: I added the investigation in this time, which made it even longer! Yikes. Anyway, I'm playing the games and really got back into the series with the announcement of a third game! Yay! And you can bet I'm already creating an OC for DR2! Can you guess you I have in mind to pair her with? He's a very hopeful kind of guy..._**


	6. Chapter 5: A Brand-New Beginning

**_A.N. PLEASE GO BACK AND RE-READ THE OTHER CHAPTERS. I CHANGED SOME THINGS…. Especially in the last chapter….I didn't die! Yay! As my Christmas/New Year's present, here's a short chapter to get us prepped for the new arc and the New Year! Yay! Thank you guys for all the support! As always please R&amp;R and tell me what you think about the honorifics drop and me adding in some of the video game details!_**

**_._**

**_Disclaimer: ...Again, seriously? Ayano, you do it._**

**_Ayano: Quit being such a lazy author_**

**_Me: Not everyone can be an Ultimate!_**

**_Ayano: Fine! Aside from me, Author-chan doesn't own anything. This includes any and all references to Ace Attorney and Criminal Minds. (#NoHotchNoWatch)_**

**_Me: ^.^_**

**_Warning: Some cursing (Sorry! The games were really bad about this!)_**

**Classmate Total: 13 :) 3 *_***

We all stood there, unable to speak or move for several minutes. The enormity of what we had just done gripped each of us. By our own hand, we had sentenced one of our own to death and by doing so, had narrowly escaped our own end. The thought that I had saved the Original Leon and Sayaka was some small comfort, but even so...I had killed their Clones, who were innocent in the matter.

"Naegi," Kyoko eventually said, directing him to a corner of the Courtroom.

I snapped out of my stupor as I watched them go, hoping that she was trying to comfort him. What Sayaka had done to him was awful, but according to Naegi, she had some deep psychological trauma that directed her actions.

'To be honest,' I thought, entering the elevator with the others. 'I can understand her wanting to leave, especially if she had a home to go back to.' I couldn't say that I had been the most popular girl, quite the opposite in fact...To find someone willing to accept you is an amazing thing, and I can understand wanting to protect it, even at the cost of a life.'

Behind me, Monokuma giggled and said, "Oh! I almost forgot! Since the Class Trial is over, I'll go ahead and dispose of all the corpses! It's okay, no need to thank me! Just seeing yer smiling, delighted faces is thanks enough for me! After all, nobody wants to look at a rotting corpse every day! That can't be good for yer health! Pupupupu!"

I gritted my teeth in anger as the elevator doors closed. We all stood there wordlessly throughout the ride back to the first floor. I walked slowly back to my room. 'I understand...and yet...to murder someone, to end another's hopes and dreams...I could never bring myself to do that. As an Artist, my job is to bring new perspectives to the world, and help people understand the beauty in different styles. To murder...would spit in the face of everything I believe in.'

I walked past Naegi's room and numbly noted that the nameplates been switched back. I opened the door to Naegi's old room and saw, with some shock but little surprise, that the entire room was spotless. No one would guess that a murder had taken place there just a few short hours ago.

'I'll bet that he even has a poorly fitted door on the bathroom again,' I thought, shaking my head in disgust. 'And how cruel to make Naegi sleep in the room where Sayaka was murdered.' I left in a fury and continued to my room.

I opened the door and entered quickly, slamming my door shut as frustration poured through me. 'He didn't want to give us time to mourn.' I fell back on my bed and stared at the ceiling, contemplating my role in this sick game. 'I have to fight harder than anyone,' I thought, closing my eyes. 'I have to fight a losing battle where someone will die. I don't even understand why I was chosen, and I'm stuck having to do everything alone….!'

My eyes snapped open, and I sat up. "Maybe not…" I muttered aloud. I walked over to my bathroom, and once again started the shower. "Here goes nothing."

I pushed my charm into the keyhole and once again waited for the wall to slide open. 'Maybe I can recruit Leon and Sayaka to help me…I can't trust the others, because there is still a chance that they would kill someone. Leon and Sayaka, however, have more to lose than I do if they betray me. Monokuma will certainly carry out their sentence swiftly. If we win and get out of here, however…'

I scurried down the tunnel, approaching the opening cautiously. I wasn't one hundred percent sure of my Clone and was a little worried. She seemed to be very similar to Monokuma.

I tapped lightly on the glass of her capsule, and her eyes shot open. "Ayano!" she said, her voice slightly muffled. She wavd at me, clearly happy to see me.

"Hi," I answered, smiling. I pushed the button to let her out and stood back.

"You did it!" She crowed as she leapt out of her capsule. "Everything went perfectly!"

"Thanks," I said sadly, pulling out the note Leon-Clone had given me. "I just wish you guys didn't have to die."

"I know it saddens you," she said consolingly. "But we were created for that purpose, and we're not scared by the prospect of death. Besides, all our memories are returned to our Originals when we die, so we end up living on."

"Wait," I said, holding up a hand. "What do you mean?"

Ayano gestured to her capsule. "Think of us as extensions of our capsules. Everything we say or do is recorded in its data bank. When our Originals are placed inside the capsule, those memories are...downloaded into their brains, making them understand what happened."

"So Sayaka and Leon remember dying?" I said, in horror.

Ayano winced. "Ah, no. Not all memories are downloaded, either because they contain sensitive information that would harm our Original or because they wouldn't understand the given information, which could damage their brains permanently. They remember everything leading up to their death, and even the moment before it happened, but if they were to re-experience their demise, it could potentially shut down their brain and kill them anyway."

"I see."

"But," she continued happily. "They will know that their Clone saved them, and that they owe their lives to you."

"Yes, about that…" I started. "Would it be possible for me to utilize them? Having someone who can be out and about would be a big help."

Ayano nodded, her hand on her chin as she thought. "Well, I don't see the problem with that...except that you should only let one out at a time until they are willing to forgive each other. The thought that the person who murdered you is still alive might be a bit too much for some of these guys."

"Oh! Of course!" I quickly agreed. "Actually, wait...what's to stop them from hurting each other while I'm gone?"

Ayano grinned dangerously. "We cannot hurt the Originals, but our capsules administer a shock to anyone attacking its occupant. It would make a human pass out for a week. Also...you are the only one who can let us out."

I gaped at her. "What?"

"Ok, well not the only one," she amended. "I'm your Clone, so I can too, but seeing a how I'm in the capsule most of the time...it's basically only you, because the button is programmed to respond to your fingerprints. If anyone else tries, they'll get a nasty shock."

"O-Okay," I managed, trying not to stare. "Aaand why wasn't I told this sooner? I mean, it might've come in handy."

Ayano tapped her nose. "I'm keeping things on a need to know basis. Like I said, I'm programmed to protect you from sensitive material that might make your brain implode."

"Noted," I sweatdropped.

"So, did you come to talk to any of us?" Ayano asked. "It can get lonely in here, and we'd enjoy the company. Or, you can talk to our Originals and we'll see it through their eyes. Either way works."

"Umm," I said, suddenly unsure. "I wanted to talk to Leon and see if he could help me out."

Ayano nodded happily. "Ok, sure. Just don't let Sayaka out!" And with that, she walked along the capsules and punched the button on the second to last one.

Steam shot from the capsule, and I slowly walked closer. Leon sat up with a groan and looked around. I stared at him, unable to look away. 'Less than an hour ago, I watched this man die,' I thought. 'It's a little surreal.' But there he was, wearing the same outfit as he was when he died. His hair was messed up, and he looked pale and sick, but alive.

Leon closed his eyes and shook his head. "What a crazy dream….!" He started as he saw me. "Tsukino! What are you doing in my room?"

I raised an eyebrow. "This isn't your room, Leon. This is a chamber that is home to the Clones that saved yours and Sayaka's life."

"Sayaka…" Leon muttered, then shot out of the capsule. "That sneaky bitch! She tried to kill me!"

"And you DID kill her," I commented dryly. "After which, I might add, you had several chances to stop."

"That's…" He put his hand behind his head and stopped. "You're right," he sighed. "I just- I was so angry that she tried to kill me that I reacted! And after she ran into the bathroom, I figured that she would tell everyone that I had attacked her! I was scared, and so I just-!"

I put up a hand to silence him. "I get it. You wanted out and took your shot. We're all in a bad situation, and, as far as I'm concerned, you already paid the price."

Leon went pale. "So that...that Million Fungoes thing wasn't a dream…"

I shook my head. "Your Clone died to protect you, and I need you to honor that by helping me get everyone out of here safely."

He thought about it for a long moment. "Are you going to attack me, like in the Courtroom?"

I glared at him, going red in embarrassment as Ayano giggled. "Are you going to curse at me again?"

He grinned tiredly. "Fair enough. But...I don't know if I can help right now. Don't take it the wrong way," he began, seeing my glare deepen. "I want to get out of here, badly. It's just...Don't take it personally, but I don't know you. I don't know if I can trust you. I've been given a second chance, and I don't want to waste it by trusting a pretty girl for a second time."

I sighed. "Yeah, I get it. I don't know if I can trust you either. You did kill someone after all." I thought for a moment. "Look, I think we just need to start over at the beginning. I'm Ayano Tsukino, and I'm the Ultimate Artist. And you are?" I held out a hand, waiting.

He looked at me strangely for a moment, then slowly took my hand. "Leon. Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Star. It's..um...nice to meet you?"

I smiled and shook my head. "We've got a long way to go…"

And so we talked for a few more minutes and I said my goodbyes, racing up the path to turn off the shower. 'I was down there for quite some time,' I thought, wetting my hair so it looked like I'd been showering. I hope Monokuma's got the water bill covered.' I smiled spitefully as I exited the bathroom and crawled into bed. I let my smile slip away as the cameras turned to me, and I pretended to wipe my eyes, as if I had been crying.

'I won't let you beat me, Bear!'

* * *

**Classmate Total: 13 :) 3 *_***

The next morning, I awoke to Monokuma's usual morning announcement, but today he added something a little different.

"Oh, and one other thing," he said, swirling his wineglass. "Meet up in the gym after breakfast!"

'What's that about?'

I got dressed quickly and met everyone for breakfast. I was the last to arrive today, and Naegi was telling them all that he wasn't going to give up on Sayaka's memory as I sat down.

"We just need to work together!" Asahina declared happily. "If we do, I'm sure we'll find a way out of here! Just try to cheer up and get back on track!"

Byakuya scoffed. "Is that honestly supposed to make us feel better? We were already 'working together' and yet someone was still murdered. Anyone could betray us at this point. Now that it's happened once, it's a question of when, not if, the next one takes place."

"Byakuya is making a good point," I mused, interrupting the argument and Fukawa's ranting. "Anyone familiar with basic psychology will know of the Prisoner's Dilemma, which is similar to our own predicament." I ripped a page out of my notebook and started sketching a chart for everyone to see. "It goes like this: two criminals are arrested and taken to jail. They are separated and interrogated, each one given this offer. If one of them confesses, that prisoner will go free and the other will spend twenty years in prison. If they both confess, they both get five years, and if they both keep silent, they each get one year. Obviously, the best thing to do is to keep silent, but then trust gets in the way. Can you trust your partner? Usually both criminals confess and serve time, but in this case, this cannot happen.

Our situation is different in that the best thing to do is to not kill, but that could mean us being stuck in here for some time. If one of us kills, either they must die, or we all die. There's no other way to play this game. Unless," I looked at each of my classmates closely. "We need to find the Mastermind, the one controlling Monokuma and keeping us here."

"Are you certain it will be that easy?" Celestia asked condescendingly. "The Mastermind seems to be much more powerful than we suspected. They took over Hope's Peak, which was supposed to be well defended, then modified it to fit their desire. They created Monokuma, which seems to be incredible advanced, and they're providing for our every need. And, the cherry on top is the execution we witnessed. Everything has been planned down to the last excruciating detail. This is not the work of your everyday psychopath. Defying them may prove too great a risk."

"Then, what are we supposed to do?" Sakura asked.

"Anyone who truly does want to escape, will just have to follow the rules," Byakuya said harshly, his arms crossed as he smirked. "In which case, the only option is to deceive those around you and win the game."

"N-No," Chihiro said, tearing up.

"No, what?" Byakuya asked scornfully.

"I don't want to live, if it means killing someone else to do it," she continued. "I don't want to kill anyone else!"

"Anyone...else?" Hagakure asked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Leon died because we voted for him, right? It's no different from us killing him ourselves!"

"Chihiro," I whispered. 'He's alive and relatively well, and I'm sorry I can't tell you that.'

"But, if we hadn't voted for him, then we would've died," Asahina said gently. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"Putting that level of blame on yourself is downright masochistic!" Yamada agreed.

"You're not to blame," Naegi assured. "Not you, not Leon, and not Sayaka. The Mastermind is responsible for everything that happened. I can't even imagine what would've happened to us if we'd refused. And in the end, it was Monokuma who killed Leon! So don't waste your anger on yourself...instead, direct it at the Mastermind!"

"Pupupu!" Monokuma popped up behind Naegi just as he finished. "It's totally obvious that yer trying to make yerselves feel better and justify what you did. Now pay attention and remember this well! The burden of judging others is a heavy one to..bear. So be well aware of your actions. Order and stability rely on the sacrifice and responsibility of everyone! And remember, meet me in the gym in a few minutes, or else!" With that he vanished.

"What w-was that about just n-now…?" Fukawa stuttered.

"Was he saying it's our fault what happened? That's pretty cruel man…" Hagakure muttered.

"That piece of sh**! Who does he think he is?" Ohwada demanded angrily.

"He's trying to break us," I interjected. "He wants us to be in a panic and not trust each other. As I said before, Byakuya is correct in a sense," Insert a death glare at said jerk. "But, I meant that we can't allow ourselves to get caught in the Prisoner's Dilemma and turn on each other. We need to figure out who the Mastermind is by playing the game. After all, Junko and Leon were both killed by Monokuma, so that means we have to figure out who the blackened Mastermind is before it's too late." I held up my Digital Notebook. "According to the rules, it's our job to find out who killed our friends."

"Ayano is right!" Asahina exclaimed. "Let's just play along for now and figure out the truth!"

"Hmph," Byakuya said. "I suppose that that is more entertaining than waiting for us to turn on each other."

Naegi nodded happily, then looked at the clock on the back wall. "We'd better go. If we're going to play along, then we need to go to the gym."

We filed out, heading for the gym to do who knows what. 'That went rather nicely,' I thought.

"Ayano."

I turned to see Byakuya hanging back, gesturing for me to talk to him.

"What's up?" I asked, letting everyone else get ahead.

"It's rather foolish to plant hopes in their heads, don't you think?" he asked, shaking his head. "It's more than likely that one of them will kill again, and they will be emotionally shattered."

"I don't think so," I said softly. "Monokuma should be sated for a few days before he gives us another motive, and that time will be wasted if we don't do any investigating. I want to see if we can break into other areas of the school, or somehow trick Monokuma into giving something away. Sitting idly isn't my style, and I don't think it's yours either."

"Of course not!" He said, affronted. "I'm just thinking realistically. There are several of them who could and would kill to get out of here, and making the more gullible ones believe that they are safe is like leading lambs to slaughter. What will you do when someone else kills?"

"I'll find them." I stared Byakuya right in the eye, stressing every syllable. "If they want to play, then I'll win."

Byakuya smirked. "Excellent," he whispered, his eyes locked onto mine, which made me aware of how close I was to him. I could see many different emotion swirling in his bright blue eyes. "I would expect no less from my ally." Abruptly, he turned away and headed for the gym, leaving me alone in the hallway.

'He has very pretty eyes,' I thought dumbly, standing there like an idiot. I snapped out of my trance and hurried to the gym, pushing any thoughts of Byakuya to the side. 'Which doesn't matter right now. This is an action novel, not a romance.'

I pushed open the gym door to find...What?

"Okay, lift yer arms up and down!" Monokuma encouraged. "One, two, three, four!" He was standing on a box on the stage that he had greeted us on, his arms extended. Everyone else was milling around awkwardly, except for Ishimaru, who was front and center, doing every exercise.

"One, two, three, four!"

"Now reach waaay up, and bend waaay down!" Monokuma yelled. "Tighten those muscles! Let's add a little strength, a little speed to those young bodies of yours!"

"What the heck is going on?" I mumbled, confused. "I walked into an exercise tape."

"Ahh, doesn't this feel great!" Monokuma said taking a break. "Being stuck inside like this, you gotta make sure that you stay healthy."

"You're the o-one keeping us 'stuck inside…'" Fukawa said, out of breath.

"Don't sweat the small stuff!" Monokuma exclaimed. "That's my motto. Whoa! I sounded pretty cool just now, don'tcha think? Did you fall in love with me? Am i just to die for? Am I just to die in writhing agony for?" As he spoke, he struck several different poses to accent his "coolness."

"So, why did you call us here?" Sakura asked angrily. "Certainly it wasn't just to make us exercise…"

"Of course not! You think I have that kind of free time?" Monokuma growled, offended. "I'd like to make an announcement. Each time you overcome a Classroom Trial, Hope's Peak Academy is designed to open up a whole new world!" He waved dramatically, then glared at us angrily. "If I don't stimulate you brats enough, yer bound to start whining since yer members of the spoiled generation! As such," he said, calming down. "Feel free to explore!" With that, he vanished again.

"What is this 'new world?'" Hagakure asked.

"We won't know until we find out!" Ohwada shouted, running out of the gym.

"Let's split up and investigate!" Ishimaru said, following suit. "When you're done, everyone meet back up at the dining hall and we'll share what we found!"

"You're basically a one-trick pony, you know that?" Byakuya mocked.

"More like a staple food source!" he shot back over his shoulder. "Now let's get going!"

I laughed, and eagerly left the gym to explore. I pulled out my Digital Notebook to check the school map and saw, to my delight, that new areas of the school had been unlocked, including a library.

'Must. Read. Books.' I thought longingly, forcing myself to walk, like a normal person, instead of sprinting down the halls like I was on fire.

I passed Hagakure, who was crying about something in the briefcase. I sped up, getting excited, when someone called my name.

"Ayano!"

I turned to see Ohwada, who was looking surly as usual. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I went and checked the metal hatch in the main hall just to be sure, but just like I figures, it hasn't moved an inch. Damn," he let out a frustrated sigh, crossing his arms.

"Yeah," I said sadly. "It would've been nice to be free."

"Heeeey!" he shouted, startling me. "Don't make that face! You and Naegi are supposed to be the confident ones! Do you need me to put some fighting spirit in ya?" He growled, annoyed at me somehow

I raised my hands in defense. "No, sir! I'm happy again, I promise!"

He nodded. "Well...okay. I'm going to go look for another way out, then." He turned and walked away.

'Phew!' I thought, lowering my hands. 'I wonder why he got so mad?' Dismissing it, I walked to the stairs leading to the second floor, delighting in the fact that the bars were gone. I stopped in front of the beckoning stairs, a mix of confidence and insecurity rolling through my brain. Taking a breath, I place my foot on the first step.

'This is my chance to learn more about Monokuma, and the Mastermind! I will find out what they are hiding, I will discover the secret of

**Classmate Total: 13 :) 3 *_***

**A.N. I know that this is a little short, but I'm working on how to best forward the story. I will still be using the anime, but now that I have the game, I don't want to leave out those details either! Any advice or tips would be great! I also want to know what you think about the change in names. Please R&amp;R and have a Happy New Year!**


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